As anti-slavery activists face threats and aggression in Mali, the U.N. joins them in calling on the government to criminalize descent-based slavery
Human rights groups in Mali urge the government to end descent-based slavery, The HUG Project launches a new handbook for online child abuse survivors, and coronavirus infections surge in crowded Rohingya refugee camps.
The U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called on authorities in Mali to end slavery once and for all, after four men regarded as “born into slavery” were beaten to death in the Kayes region last autumn and three other people, including an 80-year-old woman, were seriously injured.
Previous to this, a member of an anti-slavery organization was expelled from his village, according to the U.N. report, while 50 people who had contested their slave status were forced by local leaders to flee their homes. Anti-slavery activists are regularly threatened by enslaving communities and argue that the criminalization of slavery in Mali is long overdue.
Although slavery was technically abolished in Mali in 1905, it is still considered normal practice by many communities in the northern regions. However, while it has never gone away, descent-based slavery seemed less firmly entrenched in the southwestern areas, with many former slaves managing to live freely in the post-colonial era. Now, descent-based slavery and the social stigma that accompanies it have resurfaced openly in these southwestern regions, writes Lamine Diakité, Program Officer and Community Mobilizer at the Malian Association for Deportees. Those with inherited “slave status” have once again become targets of abuse.
Descent-based slavery is the legacy of a distant past – it existed in the various empires and kingdoms that ruled the area long before the arrival of colonial powers. People are considered “born into slavery”, or ascribed with “slave status”, because their ancestors were enslaved and their families have “belonged” to elite slave-owning families for generations. When slavery was abolished, slave owners adapted to the new laws by concealing the practice under the guise of domestic work, fostering and marriage. Thus, many descendants of enslaved families have continued to inherit “slave status” and to work under the control of ruling elites.
Victims of descent-based slavery are deprived of their fundamental human rights. They cannot own anything – being treated as property themselves – nor do they have access to basic social services without the approval of their enslavers. As protests against these injustices have grown over the past few years, groups of people considered to have slave status have been driven out of their homes, becoming refugees in their own countries – often violently beaten, severely injured and dispossessed of their land, livestock and other assets. To date, the number of victims remains unknown as no official research has been carried out, however, it is estimated that more than 3,000 people have been permanently displaced since 2018 . Women and children are the most vulnerable to violence and abuse, and several cases of rape and serious injury have been documented by rights defenders.
The associations and NGOs that have formed to combat the phenomenon and to demand justice and protection for victims face constant aggression, and death threats are made against their members by the perpetrators and supporters of slavery. The country’s administrative and judicial authorities remain silent on the issue, and no law exists to criminalize descent-based slavery in Mali.
Activists and campaigners are now asking the state to take action by urging its citizens to respect the rights upheld in the country’s constitution – which states that all Malians are born “free and equal” – and in the international conventions to which Mali has subscribed. One approach that has been suggested would be to involve reformed enslavers in awareness and education campaigns, as their peers are more likely to listen to them and respect their views.
Thanks to Lamine Diakité – you can read the original piece, in French, here.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
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A survivor of child online exploitation who previously reached out to The HUG Project for resources after she was abused online has helped the group design a new handbook (also available in Thai). The book explains what child victims may go through following online exploitation, and discusses how family members, friends, and teachers can help, as well as how to collect evidence if they wish to seek justice.
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UNU-CPR is looking for a Communications and Events Officer for the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) initiative to advance project aims and promote outputs, as well as to enhance the initiative’s profile, policy impact and reach.
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