Ilguilas Weila

Ilguilas Weila ( * 1957 in Barmou ) is a Nigerien abolitionist and founder of the human rights organization Timidria, which advocates against slavery in Niger. 2004 were awarded the Anti-Slavery Award of the international organization Anti-Slavery International Ilguilas Weila and Timidria.

Slavery is officially banned in Niger and Niger's government denies the existence of slavery, but human rights organizations such as Anti-Slavery International estimate the number of slaves in the country at least 40,000. Ilguilas Weila in his speech to the Anti-Slavery Award 2004 even 870,000.

Ilguilas Weila was born in the village Ourihamiza, which was then in the district was Tchintabaraden and is now located in the territory of the rural community Barmou. He belongs to the superscript dark-skinned Tuareg subgroup Igorane. Weila attended primary school in his home village and continued his education at the general secondary school in Tahoua and at the Vocational School for Telecommunications in Niamey on. Meanwhile, he completed a one year internship at Agence France-Presse.

On 28 April 2005 Ilguilas Weila and five of his associates were arrested because they were accused of embezzling funds from international partner organizations such as Anti-Slavery International in the amount of two billion CFA francs. Anti-Slavery International denied this. Four of the accused were released soon afterwards. On May 19, a demonstration against Weilas arrest took place in the capital Niamey. On June 17 Weila and his fellow prisoner Alassane Biga were released on bail.