| In which the German reporter is shocked to be told that the East African slave trade to the Muslim world began in the 7th century, a thousand years before Europeans got involved, and while toothless laws were passed against the trade in the 19th and 20th centuries, the trade continues. But really, it is the fault of the Africans themselves for taking a profit instead of building internment camps for their tribal war captives. Key facts: males slaves for the Muslim market were castrated, three out of four slaves sent to the Ummah died along the way, and slave markets recently reappeared in Libya. BLUF: |
[DW] Author N'Diaye estimates that 17 million East Africans were sold into slavery: "Most people still have the so-called Transatlantic [slave] trade by Europeans into the New World in mind. But in reality the Arab-Muslim slavery was much greater," Senegalese author Tidiane N'Diaye said.
"Eight million Africans were brought from East Africa via the Trans-Saharan route to Morocco or Egypt. A further nine million were deported to regions on the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean." |