The Effects of Slavery in Sudan

Slavery. Many have heard of it but few know the subtleties of it; even fewer are aware that slavery is alive and well in our modern day world, and even STILL fewer are willing to take a stand against it. Because of slavery, Sudan has had a civil war that has killed over 2 million people (so far). If slavery in Sudan was abolished, many innocent lives could be saved.

Slavery in Sudan is hundreds of years old, with Sudan being an active member of the slave trade in Africa up until early this century (“Slavery in Sudan”). One of the oldest and prominent centers of the slave trade in Africa was Bahr al-Ghazal. The city is on the unofficial ‘border’ of Sudan, with the followers of Islam in the North and the practitioners of Christianity and other traditional religions in the South. “For centuries northern Sudanese and Turco-Egyptian traders raided along the Nile, deep into Upper Nile, Equatoria and into the vast lands of Bahr al-Ghazal” (“Slavery in Sudan”). Because the raiders are the only contact that the Southerners received from the North, many regarded the raiders with a sense of fear and hate.

Throughout history, South Sudan has had tense relations with its northern neighbor. This is mostly due to differences between religion, race and language. “One of the most serious failings of humanity is its inability to draw (and redraw) national boundaries in accordance with the needs of the people” (“Slavery in Sudan”). Sudan is predominantly Arab, practices Islam and speaks Arabic; in contrast, South Sudan is predominantly black African, practices Christianity, and speaks a variety of languages. Through these differences, a civil war has popped out; the Northern faction always trying to subjugate the Southerners into becoming like them, while the Southerners try to resist their efforts. Civil war, however, is not the only thing that separates the two sides; the North side has always regarded its Southern neighbor as inferior, using this excuse to enslave the Africans...