Interviews with redeemed slaves confirmed a well-established pattern of severe physical and psychological torture, including exemplary executions, beating, rape, female genital excision, forced conversions and unpaid labor. For example :

35-year-old Adior Ajang Jongkor was enslaved for two years. Her master, Ali from the village of Shetef gave her he Arab name ‘Howah’ and forced her to perform domestic labour. Ali repeatedly raped Adior and slashed her with a knife when she resisted his advances. Her body is now covered with scars.

25-year-old, Nyanut Aquer Mayen was enslaved in 1997. She witnessed the death of ten children from thirst and the execution of three young men as her slave caravan was forced march to the North. Her master, Mahmoud, frequently raped her. Nyanut now has a baby as a result of this sexual abuse. Her master gave her the name ‘Howesa’. Mahmoud’s wife often beat Nyanut with a bamboo stick and called her insulting names, such as the Arabic equivalent of ‘nigger’ and ‘slave’.

Further evidence of recent PDF slave raids, including the enslavement of 2,064 and the murder of 181 people, has been published this month by the UN in a 63-page document (Rapid Assessment Report, Rapid Assessment of Affected Locations in Twic, Awil East, Aweil West and Wau Counties, Carried out between March 13th and 25th 999, by UNICEF/OLD Rapid Assessment Team, Lokichoggio, April 1999.

While addressing the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva on 7th April, the Sudanese Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin announced the initiation of criminal cases against CSF because of its redemption of slaves, and has threatened to disrupt humanitarian assistance to needy civilians unless the Commission condemns SSI and UNICEF retracts its confirmation of slavery in Sudan.