An independent humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls has deplored an auction held on Facebook to facilitate the child marriage of a 16- year-old girl in South Sudan.

Nyalong Ngong Deng, a 16-year-old South Sudanese girl, was married off on 3 November. The girl’s father received 500 cows, three cars and $10,000 in exchange for his daughter, who was married off to the winning bidder.

Five men participated in the auction, some of whom are high-ranking government officials.

George Otim, Country Director of Plan International South Sudan, said: “This barbaric use of technology is reminiscent of latter-day slave markets. That a girl could be sold for marriage on the world’s biggest social networking site in this day and age is beyond belief.”

“While it is common for dowries to be used in marriages in South Sudanese culture, nothing can excuse the way this girl – who is still a child – has been treated as nothing more than an object, sold off to the bidder prepared to offer the most money and goods.”

The international organization called on the South Sudanese government to investigate this matter and suspend any officials who took part in the bidding.

Plan International said it would encourage any girls who find themselves in similar situations of forced and early marriages to report these to the police, saying child marriage is a serious violation of human rights and a form of violence against girls.

The organization called for the full and effective enforcement of laws in South Sudan.

Article 15 of the South Sudan constitution stipulates that any person of marriageable age has the right to form a family, and Article 17  guarantees women and girls the right to consent to marriage.

Article 17 also defines a child as anyone under the age of 18, and further states that the best interests of the child will be protected in all matters related to his or her life, and that they should not be subjected to exploitative practices or abuse.