Slavery didn’t end with historical abolition movements. Today, an estimated 50 million people worldwide live in conditions of modern slavery, with its tentacles reaching into every continent, including Africa. From forced labor in manufacturing to sexual exploitation in tourist destinations, modern forms of enslavement persist in plain sight and hidden corners alike. This article explores the various types of modern slavery prevalent in Africa and globally, examining how these practices continue despite international laws prohibiting them, and what’s being done to combat this ongoing human rights crisis.

Modern Slavery

Modern slavery differs from historical slavery in several key ways, though the fundamental violation of human dignity remains the same. Unlike historical chattel slavery, today’s enslavement often operates through deception, psychological control, and economic coercion rather than legal ownership.

What Constitutes Modern Slavery?

Modern slavery encompasses situations where people are exploited and completely controlled by others through threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. Victims cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. The key elements include:

• Loss of freedom: Inability to leave the situation
• Exploitation: Being forced to work or provide services against one’s will
• Control: Being under someone else’s dominance through physical or psychological means
• Commodification: Being treated as property rather than a person

Types of Modern Slavery in Africa

Africa faces unique challenges with modern slavery, often intertwined with poverty, conflict, and governance issues.

Forced Labor

Forced labor remains one of the most common forms of modern slavery in Africa. Industries particularly affected include:

• Mining: In countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, workers, including children, extract minerals like coltan (used in electronics) under dangerous conditions with minimal pay
• Agriculture: On cocoa plantations in West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, workers face exploitation through debt bondage and physical isolation
• Fishing: Lake Volta in Ghana is notorious for child trafficking in the fishing industry, where children as young as four are forced to work in dangerous conditions

Child Soldiers

Armed conflicts across parts of Africa have led to the forced recruitment of children as soldiers. Countries like South Sudan, Central African Republic, and regions affected by Boko Haram have seen thousands of children abducted or coerced into armed groups. These children are forced to:

• Fight on the frontlines
• Serve as human shields
• Act as spies or messengers
• Provide domestic and sexual services

Domestic Servitude

Domestic servitude is particularly prevalent across Africa, affecting primarily women and girls. This form of slavery involves domestic workers who are:

• Paid little or nothing
• Unable to leave their employment
• Subject to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse
• Often isolated with restricted movement

In countries like Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, the practice of “vidomègon” involves children from poor rural families being sent to work in urban households, ostensibly for better opportunities, but often resulting in exploitation.

Sexual Exploitation

Commercial sexual exploitation affects countries across Africa, with trafficking networks operating both internally and across borders. Key aspects include:

• Trafficking of women and girls from rural to urban areas
• Cross-border trafficking to Europe and the Middle East
• Exploitation in the context of tourism in countries like Kenya and Morocco
• Forced prostitution connected to extractive industries like mining

Forced Marriage

Forced marriage remains a significant issue in parts of Africa, with various manifestations:

• Child marriage, particularly in regions like the Sahel
• “Wife inheritance” practices in some communities
• Abduction and forced marriage in conflict situations

Table: Child Marriage Prevalence in Selected African Countries

Source: UNICEF data (Note: Using representative statistics for illustrative purposes)

Global Manifestations of Modern Slavery

Modern slavery extends far beyond Africa, taking different forms across regions while sharing common exploitation patterns.

Debt Bondage

Debt bondage represents the most common form of modern slavery globally. It occurs when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt, with key characteristics including:

• Manipulation of debt terms making it impossible to repay
• Inherited debt passing from generation to generation
• Common in industries like brick kilns in South Asia, carpet weaving, and agriculture

In India, Pakistan, and Nepal, entire families can be trapped in brick kilns for generations, working to repay ever-increasing debts while living in deplorable conditions.

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking operates as a global criminal industry generating billions annually. This involves:

• Sex trafficking: Forced commercial sexual exploitation
• Labor trafficking: Movement of people for forced labor
• Organ trafficking: Exploitation for organ harvesting

Trafficking routes span continents, with major flows from South and Southeast Asia to the Middle East, from Eastern Europe to Western Europe, and from Latin America to North America.

State-Imposed Forced Labor

Some governments impose forced labor as punishment or economic development. Examples include:

• North Korea’s labor camps: Where political prisoners work in dangerous conditions
• Prison labor systems: In countries where incarcerated individuals work for little or no pay under threat of punishment
• Mandatory national service: In countries like Eritrea, where service can be indefinitely extended

Supply Chain Slavery

Modern supply chains often obscure slave labor producing goods we use daily:

• Garment industry: Fast fashion relies on exploited workers in countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar
• Seafood processing: Thailand’s fishing industry has been exposed for using enslaved migrants
• Electronics manufacturing: Workers in factories producing smartphones and computers facing conditions of modern slavery
• Agriculture: From coffee to sugar to palm oil, forced labor exists throughout global food supply chains

Table: Products with High Risk of Forced Labor in Supply Chains

Cyber Slavery

A newer form of exploitation leverages technology:

• Online sexual exploitation: Live-streamed abuse, often of children
• Cyber scam centers: In countries like Cambodia and Myanmar, people are trafficked to work in online scam operations
• Digital surveillance: Used to control victims’ movements and communications

Factors Perpetuating Modern Slavery

Understanding why slavery persists requires examining its root causes:

Poverty and Economic Inequality

Poverty creates vulnerability to exploitation, as people desperate for survival accept risky opportunities. Economic inequality means:

• Limited economic alternatives in impoverished communities
• Desperation driving migration through dangerous channels
• Willingness to accept exploitative terms for perceived opportunities

Weak Governance and Corruption

In regions with limited rule of law, slavery thrives:

• Bribery of officials enables trafficking
• Lack of enforcement of existing anti-slavery laws
• Corruption in law enforcement creates impunity for traffickers

Discrimination and Social Exclusion

Certain groups face heightened vulnerability:

• Women and girls in patriarchal societies
• Ethnic minorities facing systematic discrimination
• Indigenous communities with limited legal protections
• Stateless persons and refugees

Humanitarian Crises and Conflict

Disasters and conflicts create perfect conditions for exploitation:

• Displacement separates people from support networks
• Breakdown of law enforcement during crises
• Economic desperation following disasters

Combating Modern Slavery

Despite these challenges, significant efforts are underway to combat modern slavery:

International and Legal Frameworks

Several key legal instruments provide the foundation for anti-slavery efforts:

• UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Palermo Protocol)
• ILO Forced Labour Convention and its 2014 Protocol
• UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7: Focused on ending modern slavery

NGO and Civil Society Initiatives

Organizations working to end modern slavery include:

• International Justice Mission: Rescuing victims and strengthening justice systems
• Free the Slaves: Community-based approaches to liberation
• Walk Free Foundation: Research and global advocacy
• Anti-Slavery International: Policy development and victim support

Business and Consumer Action

The private sector has an essential role:

• Supply chain transparency: Companies mapping and monitoring their supply chains
• Ethical certification: Fair Trade and similar programs verifying humane working conditions
• Consumer awareness: Public campaigns educating consumers about their purchasing power

Technology Solutions

Innovative approaches leverage technology:

• Blockchain for supply chain verification: Creating immutable records of ethical production
• Satellite imaging: Detecting suspicious activity at potential exploitation sites
• AI and big data: Identifying trafficking patterns and potential victims
• Mobile apps: Allowing workers to report abuse anonymously

Case Studies: Success Stories and Ongoing Challenges

Community-Based Liberation in Ghana

In fishing communities around Lake Volta, a comprehensive approach has:

• Educated communities about child rights
• Provided economic alternatives to families
• Rehabilitated rescued children
• Prosecuted traffickers

This holistic model has freed thousands of children and transformed community norms.

The Challenge of Cyber Scam Compounds in Southeast Asia

Recent years have seen the rise of massive compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos where thousands of people are trapped and forced to perpetrate online scams. These operations:

• Target vulnerable people with false job offers
• Confiscate passports and phones upon arrival
• Subject victims to physical abuse if quotas aren’t met
• Operate with significant protection from corrupted officials

Despite increased awareness, these operations continue to expand, highlighting the adaptability of modern slavery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are enslaved worldwide today?

According to the International Labour Organization and Walk Free Foundation’s 2021 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, approximately 50 million people worldwide live in conditions of modern slavery. Of these, 28 million are in forced labor and 22 million are in forced marriages.

What’s the difference between human trafficking and smuggling?

While related, these terms describe different phenomena:

• Human trafficking involves exploitation and does not require movement across borders
• Smuggling involves transporting people across borders illegally with their consent
• Smuggling can turn into trafficking if exploitation occurs

Do slaves still exist in Africa?

Yes, though not in the historical chattel slavery form. Modern forms of slavery exist across Africa, including forced labor, child soldiers, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. The forms vary by region and context.

What can ordinary people do to fight modern slavery?

Individuals can make a difference by:

• Learning to recognize signs of trafficking and reporting suspicions
• Supporting ethical businesses and demanding supply chain transparency
• Donating to reputable anti-slavery organizations
• Advocating for stronger anti-slavery laws
• Raising awareness in their communities

Is chocolate production linked to slavery?

Yes, cocoa production, particularly in West Africa, has been linked to child labor and forced labor. Major chocolate companies have committed to ethical sourcing, but progress has been slow. Consumers can look for Fair Trade or similarly certified chocolate products.

Conclusion

Modern slavery persists as one of humanity’s greatest moral failures, with millions suffering in conditions of exploitation across Africa and worldwide. While the challenge is immense, progress is being made through legal frameworks, technology, community-based approaches, and increased awareness.

Each of us has a role to play in ending modern slavery. By understanding the various forms it takes, supporting ethical businesses, backing effective anti-slavery organizations, and demanding action from our governments, we can contribute to a world where freedom is universal.

The path to ending slavery requires sustained commitment at all levels of society—from international policy to individual consumer choices. The question is not whether modern slavery can be eliminated but how quickly we can mobilize the necessary resources and will to achieve this essential goal.