The Brutal Torture of Rasha Garang and Achieng: A Grave Violation of Human Dignity in Egypt
Sheikh Zayed City, Egypt – What should’ve been a straightforward job arrangement between a Sudanese employer and two South Sudanese domestic workers someho
Sheikh Zayed City, Egypt – What should’ve been a straightforward job arrangement between a Sudanese employer and two South Sudanese domestic workers somehow twisted into something horrific, a chilling reminder of how exposed and powerless so many migrant domestic workers still are across the Middle East and North Africa. Rasha Garang and her co-worker Achieng—both South Sudanese—had been living and working as domestic helpers for Mayada, a well-known Sudanese businesswoman who lives in the upscale Sheikh Zayed City neighborhood west of Cairo. After taking a short break from their duties, the two women were suddenly ordered back to work by Mayada for the following Sunday.
As soon as they arrived, Mayada accused them of stealing a gold ring and pendant. Rasha and Achieng flat-out denied any involvement, asking if there was any proof. But rather than try to verify her accusations through legal channels, Mayada lost control and quickly called in a group of armed men—some Egyptian, some Sudanese—whom the women later described as “thugs.” She instructed them to get a confession out of the two, using any means necessary. What followed was a drawn-out, nightmarish ordeal of calculated torture and humiliation, dragging on well into the next day.
The Assault and Torture
The women were kept locked inside the home, subjected to brutal interrogations and repeatedly threatened with death. Their mobile phones were seized immediately, shutting off any chance to reach for help. Of the two, Achieng suffered the most horrifying abuse: she was electrocuted three separate times and burned with an open flame. Pictures taken after their escape show Achieng’s face grotesquely swollen, covered in unmistakable marks of trauma. Rasha too was beaten badly, but for reasons unknown, the attackers seemed to target Achieng the most, perhaps because they saw her more often in the household.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Mayada hurled racist slurs at them, calling them “Sudanese thieves” and threatening to cut out their organs or permanently disfigure them unless they “returned” the supposedly stolen jewelry. By the next morning, even though both women were in visible agony and battered, they were forced to get back to housework. When Achieng, barely able to move, refused to stand up again, seven men stormed in, pinned her down, and resumed the beating.
Forced Nudity, Photography, and Coerced Signatures
In a calculated act of psychological torment, the attackers dragged the women to the bathroom, ordering them at gunpoint to strip naked. While they stood there completely vulnerable, photos were taken—an act that, under international law, is considered sexual violence and an extreme form of humiliation. One can only guess whether these photos were meant as blackmail, or simply as cruel trophies. Finally, guns still pointed at them, the women were forced to sign documents they couldn’t read or understand. Only after this final humiliation were they let go—or, more accurately, left in a condition where they could just barely escape.
Escape and Cry for Help
As soon as they saw a slim chance, Rasha and Achieng ran from the house and headed straight to the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Cairo, desperate for protection and medical help. The embassy has since confirmed that they’re providing assistance to both survivors.
A Broader Pattern of Abuse
This isn’t some isolated horror story. Domestic workers from sub-Saharan Africa—especially South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea—have long reported being beaten, robbed of wages, having their passports seized, and, in the worst cases, being tortured or sexually assaulted by employers across the region. The kafala (sponsorship) system still dominant in many Arab countries keeps workers legally tied to their employers, stripping away labor protections and leaving them wide open to abuse exactly like this. When bosses feel emboldened to summon armed gangs with zero fear of consequences, and when blatant racism is used to justify sadistic violence, what you get is a modern brand of slavery, hidden in the homes of the wealthy.
Demand for Accountability
Now, civil society groups, South Sudanese community organizations, and human rights defenders are demanding:
- That Mayada (full name withheld until charges are filed) and every single person—Sudanese or Egyptian—who played a part in the beatings, electrocution, burning, forced nudity, and coercion be arrested and prosecuted immediately.
- A clear and transparent investigation by Egyptian authorities into how an employer was able to round up an armed group and detain, torture, sexually abuse, and photograph two women inside a private home, all without any outside intervention.
- Immediate and ongoing medical and psychological support for Rasha Garang and Achieng, as well as full reparations for what they’ve endured.
- Serious intervention by international human rights organizations, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and labor rights bodies within the International Labour Organization.
Nobody—no matter where they’re from, what they do for a living, or how much money they have—should ever have to endure what was done to these two women. The fact that Rasha Garang and Achieng even survived is a testament to their incredible resilience; but their story stands as a damning condemnation of a system that all too often treats migrant domestic workers as utterly expendable. The dignity of Rasha Garang, Achieng, and every South Sudanese woman—or any migrant worker, really—has to be defended, with no compromise, ever. Wait too long for justice, and you might as well deny it altogether.
