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Sudan Simon Deng is a South Sudanese-American human rights activist and author, known for his work against slavery and for South Sudanese self-determination.
Simon Deng launched the Sudan Freedom Walk, trekking from New York City to Washington, D.C. in March 2006 to call for an end to slavery and genocide in Sudan. He also created a European version that year, walking from Brussels to The Hague. The Walk returned in 2010 to advocate for Southern Sudanese independence.
Deng's activism primarily focuses on slavery in Sudan and on South Sudanese self-determination. He has been active since 1993, raising awareness and working towards the abolition of slavery.
A significant part of Simon Deng's public platform involves his extensive work on human rights in Sudan, advocating for justice and an end to atrocities in the region.
A partnership mentioned by Simon Deng on his Facebook page, indicating collaboration with a pastor and this organization.
Simon Deng shared the podium with Mary Temple, volunteer coordinator for Free the Slaves, an organization dedicated to eradicating slavery globally by liberating enslaved individuals.
Simon Aban Deng was born in 1959 in a Shilluk village in southern Sudan. As a child, at the age of nine, his village was raided by Arab troops, leading his family to a refugee camp in Malkal. There, Deng was kidnapped and sold into domestic slavery in northern Sudan, enduring three and a half years of enslavement before his escape in 1972. During his time as a slave, he was subjected to harsh conditions and physical punishments, but maintained his identity by refusing to convert to Islam or adopt an Arab name. Following his escape, he reunited with his family and later moved to Khartoum, where he became a national swimming champion despite initial rejections from local pools. He also worked as a messenger in the Sudanese parliament.
Deng relocated to the United States on a tourist visa in 1990, where he successfully applied for political asylum and became an American citizen. His activism against slavery in Sudan began in 1993, and in 1998, he started sharing his personal story of enslavement to raise awareness. A pivotal moment in his advocacy was the launch of the Sudan Freedom Walk in March 2006, a 300-mile trek from New York City to Washington, D.C., to advocate for an end to slavery and genocide in Sudan. This initiative led to a meeting at the White House with President Bush. Later that year, he organized a European version of the Walk from Brussels to The Hague, urging the International Criminal Court to prosecute the president of Sudan for war crimes. The Sudan Freedom Walk returned in 2010, focusing on support for Southern Sudanese independence, which was achieved in 2011 with the formation of the Republic of South Sudan.
Deng has been a prominent speaker with organizations such as the American Anti Slavery Group and has testified at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in 2010. He advocates for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan and continues to raise awareness about human rights issues, including speaking out against proposed deportations of South Sudanese asylum seekers in Israel in 2012. In December 2023, he led a solidarity walk from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to express support for Israel, drawing parallels between the struggles of the Jewish people and South Sudanese against jihadist aggression. Deng has received numerous accolades for his activism, including ADL’s Heroes Against Hate in 2006 and U.N. Watch’s Freedom Award in 2011. He currently works as a lifeguard at Coney Island.
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