The family of a 'virgin bride' who was auctioned on Facebook in a 'barbaric slave market' have been banned from the social networking site.
The teenager, aged just 17, was married after a bidding war which started when her family posted pictures online.
Five wealthy men, reportedly including high-ranking government officials, were among those who bid for her hand in marriage.
The shocking auction happened in South Sudan, and the wedding happened on August 3 after the teen's father accepted 500 cows, three cars and $10,000, charity Plan International said.
George Otim, Country Director of Plan International South Sudan, said: "This barbaric use of technology is reminiscent of latter-day slave markets.
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"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."
And Monica Adhiue, acting executive director for South Sudan's National Alliance for Women Lawyers, said: "The practice is a gross human rights violation and violates the rights of a girl."
A photo, apparently from a Facebook post about the auction, shows a tall, expressionless girl standing next to a shorter, smiling man.
Under a smiley face emoji, the post reads, "Competition is perfectly allowed in Dinka/Jieng culture." In a reference to the teenager's height, it says: "The kids of the winner are guaranteed for NBA slots."
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Taban Abel, information minister in Eastern Lakes in the centre of the war-torn nation, said the girl had since gone into hiding in the capital, Juba, but did not offer any more details.
Pictures of the girl in a white wedding gown were shared on various social media sites.
Some reports referred to her as a "virgin bride" or "the most expensive woman in South Sudan".
Facebook told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it removed the post and the user from its platform for violating its community standards last Friday, when it was made aware of the material.
"Any form of human trafficking whether posts, pages, ads or groups that co-ordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook," a spokesman said.
Campaigners also called on the Sudanese authorities to take action against those involved in the bidding as some were reportedly state officials, according to Plan and local media.
Despite the legal age of marriage being 18 years old, more than half of South Sudanese girls are wed before their 18th birthday, says the United Nations children's agency UNICEF.
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