SLAVERY IN AFRICA - Political Forum

CHUQ · #1 (**permalink**) 12-02-2006, 08:51 AM

NOUAKCHOTT: Born a slave, like his entire family, Matalla Mbreik toiled from dawn to dusk selling water and tending his master's flocks on the lonely fringes of the Saharan desert, until he could take no more.

“I still have the scars from my beatings, like my mother and sisters,” said the 32-year-old Mauritanian, staring at the floor, dressed in flowing pale-blue embroidered robes. “All they gave us to eat were leftovers.”

After years spent dreaming of escape, Mbreik seized his chance two months ago when a Mauritanian army truck passed him searching for an oasis in the desert.

“I told them to shoot me rather than take me back to my master,” said Mbreik, red-faced with shame, sitting in the office of anti-slavery group SOS-Slave

This is an interesting story, because notmany people realize that slavery is still an institution in parts of Africa.

Tradition shackles slaves in Mauritania -DAWN - International; December 02, 2006

Troianii · #2 (**permalink**) 12-04-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHUQ

NOUAKCHOTT: Born a slave, like his entire family, Matalla Mbreik toiled from dawn to dusk selling water and tending his master's flocks on the lonely fringes of the Saharan desert, until he could take no more.

“I still have the scars from my beatings, like my mother and sisters,” said the 32-year-old Mauritanian, staring at the floor, dressed in flowing pale-blue embroidered robes. “All they gave us to eat were leftovers.”

After years spent dreaming of escape, Mbreik seized his chance two months ago when a Mauritanian army truck passed him searching for an oasis in the desert.

“I told them to shoot me rather than take me back to my master,” said Mbreik, red-faced with shame, sitting in the office of anti-slavery group SOS-Slave

This is an interesting story, because notmany people realize that slavery is still an institution in parts of Africa.

Tradition shackles slaves in Mauritania -DAWN - International; December 02, 2006

Slavery is still alive in Africa (where most of our slaves were bought hundreds of years ago), as well as in other places around the world. I think that the problem is with people's mindsets. People say "something needs to be done", never "I need to do something." I'm still a kid, I haven't ever even supported myself, but buying the freedom of one of those slaves would not be as difficult as you think. Sure, it would be alot of money, but if you really care then it isn't alot of money, it would cost less than buying a new car.