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There are eight members of his immediate family still living as slaves, and Mohamed tells me there are many more in Mauritania. It is difficult to know how many though.

International human rights organisations such as Amnesty International are prevented from entering the country to conduct research. "Not only has the government denied the existence of slavery and failed to respond to cases brought to its attention," says Amnesty, "it has hampered the activities of organisations which are working on the issue, including refusal to grant such organisations official recognition."

Boubakar Messaoud and other members of SOS Slaves have been imprisoned and harassed by the authorities for their anti-slavery campaign. It seems the government has little interest in really wiping out slavery. Meanwhile, slavery remains Mauritania's best kept open secret. "Everyone knew we were slaves," said Mohamed. "It's a normal thing, to have slaves in Mauritania." Assibit, 50, describes life as a slave in Niger, where 43,000 people are estimated to be in bonded labour, as the Timidria organisation which helped her escape wins an award in London.

"I was my mistress's slave - that was my identity," says Assibit, 50, who ran away from her master in June of this year. Assibit is pressing charges against her former master After walking 30 kilometres to the nearest village, she was taken by locals to the Timidria office in Abalak.
Assibit was born into slavery - as was her mother, her husband and her five children.

The government says it is trying to clamp down on slavery - and has introduced laws so that slave owners can be punished - but still there are estimated to be tens of thousands of people in Niger in bonded labour. Assibit's whole family served a member of the Touareg tribe. Assibit would begin work at 5.30a.m. pounding millet and milking the camels.

She would then prepare breakfast for her master and his family - she and her family ate the leftovers. While her husband and sons tended the cattle and camels, she and her daughter did all the household chores. These included moving the heavy tent four times a day to ensure her mistress could sit in the shade. Assibit prepared lunch and spent the rest of the day collecting water and firewood. "We were never paid. I was only given one tenth of the camel milk I milked," she said.

Her youngest sons ran away and begged her to join them. "I have never known happiness until this... freedom," Assibit said. She says she can now go to bed and get

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