Deng and McGuinness Available for Interviews

Contact: Maria Sliwa, M.Sliwa Public Relations, 973-272-2861, 212-202-4453, msliwa@msliwa.com; Christian Solidarity International

MEDIA ADVISORY, May 10 /Standard Newswire/ -- This week, Simon Deng, a former slave now activist living in the U.S. and Heidi McGuinness of Christian Solidarity International (CSI) returned from Sudan after freeing 250 slaves.

Photo: Du reunited with his uncle, Yai.

Despite the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005, Deng and McGuinness found that tens of thousands of Black slaves, mainly women and children, remain in bondage in Darfur and neighboring Kordofan.

Deng and McGuiness are in the U.S. and Available for Interviews.

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Lual Akon Diing

Lual Akon Diing is a 10-year-old boy who was recently freed and reunited with his father through Deng and McGuiness’ efforts. Lual says that while enslaved he was beaten and raped by master, forced to practice Islam and look after cows and goats.

"I felt that my son was dead. Now he is alive," his father said.

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John Marieu Nyak Agout

John Marieu Nyak Agout, 15 is Christian. He says that while in captivity, he was renamed Mohammed and forced to practice Islam. He became lame and suffered hair loss because of the numerous and severe beatings by his master.

"I was forced to call my master father," Agout said.

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Garang Kwac Dhieu

Garang Kwac Dhieu says he was enslaved as a 10 year-old boy. He says slave raiders shot his father dead and forced him to memorize Koran.

His cheek bone was crushed when his master, Sayeed Fajella Nur, beat him with a club. He says his master also stabbed him in the hand and denied him food for days.

Contact: Maria Sliwa, M. Sliwa Public Relations, 973-272-2861 / 212-202-4453, msliwa@msliwa.com

Source: Christian Solidarity International, http://csi-int.org