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Slaves in Sudan find freedom due to ongoing efforts of Christian Solidarity International
For Immediate Release (Westlake Village, CA) — Through donations from around the globe as well as partnerships with media personalities such as Kevin McCullough and Eric Metaxas, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) freed another 1500 slaves in Sudan in 2023. Since their efforts began nearly three decades ago, CSI has liberated over 100,000 people.
Slavery in Sudan was revived in 1983, when the Arab Muslim government of Sudan began using slave raids as a weapon in its war to put down a rebellion against the government’s imposition of Islamic law. The government armed Arab Muslim militia groups, and encouraged them to raid Southern villages, steal their property, and take their women and children as slaves. CSI teams discovered a local network of Africans and Arabs working together to help retrieve some of those abducted into slavery. With CSI’s assistance, this indigenous Underground Railroad grew into a sophisticated network.
Male slaves usually have to look after livestock in cattle camps and/or help with agriculture. Female slaves usually have to perform domestic labor and/or field labor. Sexual abuse of slaves is widespread, especially, but not exclusively, amongst female slaves. Beatings, death threats, forced conversions, forced labor, racial and religious insults are commonplace. Some slaves are executed if they displease their masters.
CSI provides each slave safe passage back to South Sudan and the local community works to locate relatives of each slave and bring them back to their respective town or village. CSI developed a special aid package to assist survivors of slavery. These “Sacks of Hope” are delivered to each freed Sudanese slave. They contain a tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, fishing hooks and a ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food. Additionally, CSI provides each slave with a dairy goat. Goat milk can be turned into a variety of products that help fight off hunger. They require very little food and supplies to survive. A goat is also used as an entrepreneurial tool that allows freed slaves to sell and trade various products.
Slaves who have returned to South Sudan quite often require medical assistance for a variety of injuries that were left untreated. CSI provides help for Malaria, eye and respiratory infections, equipment for a medical lab in a larger clinic of the area, and complex cases are sent for surgery in Kenya. In addition, CSI works to provide comfort and spiritual guidance for each freed slave.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese people remain enslaved.
Slavery in Sudan was revived in 1983, when the Arab Muslim government of Sudan began using slave raids as a weapon in its war to put down a rebellion against the government’s imposition of Islamic law. The government armed Arab Muslim militia groups, and encouraged them to raid Southern villages, steal their property, and take their women and children as slaves. CSI teams discovered a local network of Africans and Arabs working together to help retrieve some of those abducted into slavery. With CSI’s assistance, this indigenous Underground Railroad grew into a sophisticated network.
Male slaves usually have to look after livestock in cattle camps and/or help with agriculture. Female slaves usually have to perform domestic labor and/or field labor. Sexual abuse of slaves is widespread, especially, but not exclusively, amongst female slaves. Beatings, death threats, forced conversions, forced labor, racial and religious insults are commonplace. Some slaves are executed if they displease their masters.
CSI provides each slave safe passage back to South Sudan and the local community works to locate relatives of each slave and bring them back to their respective town or village. CSI developed a special aid package to assist survivors of slavery. These “Sacks of Hope” are delivered to each freed Sudanese slave. They contain a tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, fishing hooks and a ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food. Additionally, CSI provides each slave with a dairy goat. Goat milk can be turned into a variety of products that help fight off hunger. They require very little food and supplies to survive. A goat is also used as an entrepreneurial tool that allows freed slaves to sell and trade various products.
Slaves who have returned to South Sudan quite often require medical assistance for a variety of injuries that were left untreated. CSI provides help for Malaria, eye and respiratory infections, equipment for a medical lab in a larger clinic of the area, and complex cases are sent for surgery in Kenya. In addition, CSI works to provide comfort and spiritual guidance for each freed slave.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese people remain enslaved.
About Christian Solidarity International (CSI):
Founded over 40 years ago, CSI is an international Christian human rights organization, campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity, and assisting victims of religious persecution, victimized children and victims of catastrophe. CSI delivers emergency food assistance, medical treatment, and other lifesaving aid to victims of religious persecution and natural disasters in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Sudan, Pakistan, and other hotspots around the globe. CSI is currently the only organization working to liberate Christians and other South Sudanese forced into slavery by government-backed forces during the Sudanese civil war. For more information visit https://csi-usa.org.