Slavery still thrives in African Niger.
CofCC.org News Team
BBC News reports that one million, or 8% of the population, of Niger are still held as slaves. Slavery was officially banned in 2004.
When Assibit first ran away from her owners she was asked what it was like to be free, but she did not understand the question.
She did not understand the concept of freedom, or even the word.
When I arrived in Niger, I could barely believe that slavery exists in this century on such a scale, but when I left I could not see how it could end in our generation.
Ending slavery in Niger would require a social revolution.
An entire section of the population would have to be taught that they are not intrinsically inferior to others, but that is what they have believed for generations.
The slave owners, and the establishment, are reluctant to teach them.