The roles of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade

It is estimated that the transatlantic slave trade resulted in a human loss of approximately 30 million to 20 million and whilst the role of European traders in the slave trade is well documented; the role of African rulers in the transatlantic slave trade has remained controversial amongst the international African community (Rawley & Behrendt, 2005). Indeed, recent reports of Smith (2009) highlight the calls of Nigerian Civil Rights Groups to force African tribal leaders to apologize for their role and responsibility in the transatlantic slave trade similar to Europe and Britain. The Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria argues that “we cannot continue to blame the white men, as Africans, particularly the traditional rulers, are not blameless” (In Smith, 2009).

[...] Therefore, Rawley and Behrendt posit that the concomitant result of the abolition of the slave trade was the proliferation of domestic slavery as a result of African businessmen replacing trade in human chattel with increased export of primary commodities as labor was required to create new wealth for the African elite (2005). Quite controversially, African writer Obadina suggests that the long history of corruption in the African ruling class suggests that Europe not decided to end the slave trade and the New World ceased demanding chattel labor, the transatlantic trade might still be rolling today. The ending of the obnoxious business had nothing to do with events in Africa” (Obadina 2000). [...]

[...] If we firstly consider the historical evidence regarding African participation in the slave trade; leading contemporary African economist journalist Obadina refers to the early writings of Portuguese explorer Duatre Pacheco Pereire that the African rulers and the military aristocracy’s wealth continued to grow exponentially as a result of the slave trade to European traders (2000). In reiterating this point, Obadina argues that the African Kingdom of Benin was “usually at war with its neighbors and takes many captives, whom we buy at twelve or fifteen brass bracelets each or for copper bracelets, which they prize more” (2000). [...]

[...] As a result of the wealth acquired from this, the West African kingdoms often purposively commenced wars simply to take captives for the slave trade and often poor families were forced to sell their children to pay off heavy debts for their children (Sharp & Schomp p.29) Due to the possible economic advantages involved, the cycle of war continued and Sharp and Schomp reiterate the role of African slave traders in the transatlantic slave trade by commenting that “African slave traders and raiders also bought or kidnapped millions of men, women and children from inland villages and marched them to slave trading centers on the coast” (2006, p.29). [...]