SLAVES

A voyage to the hermetically closed vaults of our modern, civilized world. One of the first documentaries to be made on this subject reveals the bleak reality of thousands of slaves who, at the dawn of the 21st century, live in Niger.

The government of Niger claims that there are no slaves, the United Nations Organization has no evidence, the major non-governmental organizations are unaware of the issue... The camera, however, after roaming the deserts of the Sahara and Tenere, has recorded the faces, the words, the thoughts and the dreams of these "non-existent" slaves. The phenomenon has its roots in the customs of the tribes of the Tuareg, the Fulani, the Manga and the Hausa who live there. It was nurtured by the practices of the Europeans who, in the 16th century, imported to their mines and plantations 11 million African slaves. Today, this practice thrives on the indifference of "civilized countries" while the poverty of Niger perpetuates the phenomenon.

55 MINUTES, AVAILABLE VERSIONS: Greek, English.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• slaves
• Niger
• exandas
• documentary
• avgeropoulos
• slavery
• africa

[rabiatou22]

I hate to say this but yes fulanis and tuaregs did own slaves. But not like the american slave trade. It is even ridiculous to think about it. Since ancient egypt, Africans have had a pyramid class structure where workers do the work for the noble class. The slavery practiced in America can not be compared to the so called slavery in Africa which was 100 times a milder form.

No violence occurred and people even started marrying their slaves later became part of the people who enslaved them.

[mmniger35]

As the postings point out there is no slavery in Niger today of the sort the video speaks about. In the video when they ask the boy if he's a slave, he say's he's there to learn as an apprentice. The Tuareg daughter is speaking about her helpers as family, not slaves. These videos are made to get money from Americans and others as they've done in other kinds of phoney development scams instead of actually helping people.

[A86]

@rabiatou22 - I wouldn't call it "100 times a milder form", maybe 5 times milder. There is still abuse and it's still a form of human rights abuse at the end of the day. Many things that are traditional are still wrong or immoral.

[dayspeace]

nakakalungkot isipin na ang ganitong bagay ay patuloy pa ring nangyayari. nakakalungkot isiping maraming tao sa mundo ang nasasadlak sa ganitong sitwasyon.

[mbclab60]

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU 1-2

ALIEN RACE EXPOSED!

youtube.com/watch?v=fHO_bzVar_­Q

[MegaBearslayer]

this is accepted in this culture it is the way it is there!! when the kid was asked what he wanted to be he did not say "free" he wanted to be a master. let them be slaves that is all they know and want to do is enslave each other. at least they are working!!

[KingsleyEnnis1]

CRACK CRACK CRACK Yer name is TOBY CRACK CRACK Lemme hear ya say it !! TOBY, What's yer name ? CRACK !! CRACK !! CRACK !! What's yer name ?? CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK :OK  OK YOU WIN My name be Toby and shit !! Ahhh, that' a good NIGGER !!! Cut 'im down !!

[princette]

Francophone Africa always seems to be more messed up than Anglophone Africa. Everyone Francophone "Republique" is a basket case. Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Malawi are the only Anglo basket cases and thats on;y because of bad Negro management. Nigeria and Ghana on the other hand are at least moving forward. Its obvious unfortunately that the negro race does not have the ability to run a country properly.

[MissErika79]

@mariamfula Hi you seem to know alot about this so is it true what they say that there are 800,000 slaves in Nigeria?

[highwire1612]

@rabiatou22 Not like Americans?? Being a slave in any form is just that!! African's actually had a hand in selling their own people to alot of countries back in the day. Come's down to only one thing There's Alot Of Violence In Truth!!!

[mariamfula]

Those people are Tuareg. Most of the Fulani in Niger live in the south. The Wodaabe who are Fulani and live in the north do not own slaves. There is a whole group of people known as the Bella who are referred to as 'slaves' or descendants of slaves and live a free life.

In Niger, if you buy a garden (property at an oasis) you buy a slave family as well. If you evict them from this property they have no where to go and no way to feed themselves just as most other slaves in Niger.