Stone age

Man Convicted For Marrying '5th'
Wife.
A man has been sentenced to four years in jail in
Niger in the first ever conviction for slavery in the
country.
The pressure group Anti-Slavery International told
the BBC the 63-year-old man was convicted of
having what is known as a "fifth wife".
Men in Niger are allowed to have four wives under
a local interpretation of Islamic law.
With a "fifth wife", no marriage takes place and the
woman is treated solely as property.
Niger officially banned slavery in 2003 but anti-
slavery organisations say thousands of people still
live in subjugation.
The conviction took place in the town of Birnin
Konni in south-west Niger, close to the border
with Nigeria.
Anti-Slavery International says "fifth wives" are
often girls of slave descent sold to wealthy men
who view the purchase of young women as a sign
of prestige.
The women face a lifetime of physical and
psychological abuse and forced labour, the group
says.
The case was taken to court by Anti-Slavery's
partners in Niger, Timidria.
Sarah Mathewson, Africa Programme Co-ordinator
at Anti-Slavery International, said it was
"incredible" to achieve a conviction.
"It's been over 10 years since the law against
slavery was passed in Niger and we've worked
since then to bring perpetrators of slavery to
justice," she said.
"We hope that this judgment will serve as a
catalyst for more prosecutions, as we are
pursuing many other cases before the courts."
In a landmark case in 2008, the West African
regional body Ecowas found Niger's government
guilty of failing to protect a woman from slavery.
It ordered the government to pay compensation to
the victim.