MI^^H

Cd 2

ÛQ ^

Î2 ao

09 es

CÙ

<ii

weete Spirit

e ao

o ac

câ

ÇSi

"tt

ex,

ntésim ni Van

es ;9>

grés ce dura

rfi-""^

MIMi

•Xi

as CO

ÛÛ ^ . («

fiQ

iï

PROTECTION DES INDIGÈNES

NORTHERN NIGERIA Report for 1905-1906.

(Exiracts.)

SOKOTO (INGLUDING GANDO).

The trade in slaves bas entirdy ceased, and even private transfers are rare. The Serikin bas forbidden the payment of death du lies in slaves, and he bas directed the native court to adjudicate on ail cases in whicb slaves désire to redeem themselves, fixing an équitable sum, and arranging hovt^ it may be earned and paid gradually. A slave thus bas an absolute right to redeem himself even against tbe will of bis master, witb the resuit that slaves, instead of running away and becoming vagrants, can now. appeal to the native court. Moreover, since they bave no longer the fear of being sold or transferred, they are more contented, and less inelined to désert, while tbe masters, having no longer ibe power of sale or fear of confiscation or désertion, treat their slaves more as part of tbe family. In one case, wbere rédemption vt^as refused by a master, the Sultan ordered the libération of the slave witbout ransom. He has also taken great pains to restore enslaved populations to their deserted towns. This is a remarkable course of action for the highest Hohammedan authorities in the country to take, and illustrâtes the liberality of theSultan's views, and bis désire to co-operate wilh the Administration. The graduai extinction of domestic slavery througb the initiation of the Head of tbe Moslem religion, supported by tbe Moslem jurists on the one band and by Personal exertions of the slave bimself on tbe

NIGERIE SEPTENTRIONALE Rapport pour 1905-1906.

(Extraits.)

SOKOTO (ï COMPRIS GANDO).

La traite des esclaves a complètement cessé et même les transferts entre particuliers sont devenus rares. Le Serikin a défendu le paiement en esclaves des droits de succession (death duties) et il a ordonné aux tribunaux indigènes d'accueillir favorablement les demandes de ceux qui désirent se racbeter eux-mêmes, en fixant un prix équitable et en indiquant de quelle manière la somme nécessaire pourra être recueillie et graduellement payée. Les esclaves ont donc le droit absolu de se racheter, même contre la volonté de leurs maîtres ; au lieu de devoir s'enfuir, au risque de devenir des vagabonds, ils peuvent en appeler aujourd'bui au tribunal indigène. D'ailleurs, depuis qu'ils ne sont plus exposés à être vendus ou cédés, ils se montrent plus satisfaits de leur sort et moins disposés à abandonner leurs maîtres; ceux-ci, d'autre part, ne pouvant plus les vendre et ne craignant plus leur confiscation ou leur désertion, les traitent à l'égal des membres de la famille. On cite le cas d'un maître qui, ayant refusé de consentir au rachat, se vit privé de son esclave, sans indemnité, par ordre du Sultan. Ce dernier s'est attacbé également à ramener dans leurs anciens villages les populations qui avaient été réduites en servitude. L'attitude observée en cette circonstance par la plus haute autorité musulmane du pays est caractéristique; elle révèle chez le Sultan un esprit vraiment libéral et le désir de joindre ses eff'orts à ceux de l'AcIministra-

other, is, in my judgment, a much greater achievoment than forcible manumission by Ihe Government, which, while bitterly resented by the masters, is noi regarded by them or by the slave himself as really emancipating him from the status of a slave. This movement, as I shall narrale in dealing with the other provinces, is not contîned to Sokoto, though it is hère doubly important, first, because Sokoto is the headquarters of the Hohammedan religion, and of the most capable of the Hoslem jurists, and secondly, because Sokoto, owing to the former annual slave tribute, possesses a larger slave population than any other province. The ru les regarding rédemption are applicable also to the Gando Emirate in which the intluence of the Serikin Musiimin is powerful. The Résident of Gando (Captain Ruxton) « states with assurance that there is now no such thing anywhere in the province as a trade in slaves, the policy of compulsory manumission on demand to the native courts is working well, as shown by the court returns ». He adds : a One cannot help but remark on the almost total absence of cases of slave-dealing in this province, ihe last to bave been brought under control, and one in which only three years ago the traffic must bave been very large. Should it be supposed that the traffic still goes on without our knowing it, I can only answer that the hatreds and jealousies are so great that the chances of being informed against are such as to render the supposition improbable. From ail that 1 bave casually heard I firmly believe that the trade bas been abandoncd.» Nine slaves were freed by order of the provincial courts, and 38 by the native courts.