Slavery in Niger

Recently I commented on how the Nigerien government is attacking the Tuaregs for the sake of uranium explotation and I also mentioned then that it silences and tolerates the practice of slavery.

Now I read that a former slave is suing for the first time the government for failing to apply the 2003 law that was supposed to end with this practice.

The woman, who had among other tasks that of being sex-slave of her master was eventually liberated but, when she married the man of her choice, she was accused of bigamy by her former master and sentenced to six months of prision.

According to local rights group Timidria there are still some 43,000 slaves in Niger. The government tries to minimize the figure.