UN Experts Comment on Modern Malian Slavery

“Descent-based slavery” persists in the West African nation of Mali. (Wikimedia)

UN Human Rights experts spoke out on October 29 against the persistence of “descent-based slavery” in Mali that coincides with the uptick in violence over the past few months towards those born into this social stratum. “Descent-based slavery” refers to the continued enslavement of Malian citizens who are born into this informal status, the rank placed at the bottom of the country’s unofficial caste hierarchy that guides civil society. These citizens are born without the opportunity to gain high-ranking political positions, marry outside of their class, own any land, or possess any basic human rights.

Officially, slavery was abolished under French rule in 1905; however, colonial officials permitted the preservation of “domestic” slavery among the indigenous population, fearing that complete eradication of slavery would devastate the territory’s economic system. Over 100 years later, this practice continues to oppress those born into this class, while many domestic government authorities and traditional leaders still turn a blind eye. 

The West African state passed a law in 2012 banning human trafficking. Nonetheless, proposed legislation has consistently failed to address the continuation of descent-based slavery. Part of this challenge is the unregulated, informal status of this system. Given that there is no official framework outlining this social arrangement, officials and elites who profit from the design can easily dismiss the calls for change. Indeed, many bureaucratic officers still assert that these enslaved Malians willingly participate in “traditional practices.” Founding member of Mali’s first anti-slavery organization Temedt Abdoulaye Macko declared that Mali has been “in denial” when it comes to this subject. 

For those on the lowest rungs of the ladder, participation in the feudal society that exists today is involuntary. Should Malian slaves choose to challenge the existing structure, they risk potential displacement and violence. Furthermore, if a Malian born into this strata marries outside of their group, their relatives are likely to be violently punished or denied access to critical resources. Gambana Diaguily Kanoute, leader of the anti-slavery organization, stated that you either have to “accept being a slave,” or you will be forced to leave your home village. Since 2018, approximately 3,000 enslaved Malians have fled the Kayes region alone, an area in which Gambana estimates more than 200,000 slave-descendants reside today.

The UN’s recent condemnation of Malian slavery comes in response to the series of attacks over the past several months toward enslaved Malians and anti-slavery activists, where eight main violent attacks have left several dead and hundreds displaced. Four anti-slavery activists were killed in  the state’s western region on September 1. 

Human rights experts and activists alike are calling for a definitive end to this practice through official legislation banning descent-based slavery, a step that would place the country alongside Niger and Mauritania.