23RD AUGUST SLAVE TRADE & ITS ABOLITION: REMEMBRANCE DAY

23^rd AUGUST: INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR REMEMBERANCE

OF SLAVE TRADE AND ITS ABOLITION

Member States of the United Nations observe 23^rd August with dismay the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Bagamoyo or Bwagamoyo (abandon your soul in Kiswahili) was the exit port for slave trade, a classic example of antagonism in human history which manifested  exploitation, suppression and humiliation of Africans.

The  then exploitative economic system of “Slavery” culminated in the “development of some European and American states” by the forceful use or misuse of  the human labour.

The UNESCO Executive Board in its 150^th session, passed the resolution to observe 23^rd August as the International Day for Rememberance of Slave Trade & Its Abolition. Other comparable observances include “international day for remembering  the victims of slavery & transatlantic slave trade 25^th March”; “International Day for Abolition 2^nd December”; “The International Year for people of African Descent 2011”; “International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21^st March” and “International Day for Tolerance 16^th November”.

Directly or indirectly, all the above mentioned subjects and dates intermingle with the August 23^rd remembrance of Abolition Of Slave Trade And Its Abolition.

The transatlantic slave trade in human beings were between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Carribeans. 

This abominable economic system of “slaverism” was a recognized system in favour of (some)  now the most developed countries. It was a legally based system in which people were legally considered as property of other people. Thereby, a Slave had few rights, just to keep him/her alive so that slaves could be bought or sold and forced to work for the owner without any choice or payments.

The abolition of the slave trade gained momentum during the end of 1700, initiated also by England which had gained favourably out of slave trade and also the French Revolution of 1789 which focused on the issues of freedom, equality, happiness and fraternity in Europe. Religious bodies also condemned the slave trade as it caused much suffering to human beings.

In the then Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the subsequent actions were enforced and slaves enjoyed the air of freedom by issuing to them the recognized certificate of freedom!

History shows that Denmark and Norway were the first countries in Europe to ban the slave trade.

Slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world but human trafficking remains an international problem and it is estimated that nearly 30,000,000 persons are living in illegal slavery conditions today. 

Notorious agents, recently used Tanzania as a transit country to transport people from countries north of Tanzania to South Africa, perhaps for a greener pasture. The trade was immediately arrested by Tanzanian Authorities and appropriate legal actions were enforced. 

Story & Pictures by Abdul Hai

A replica of a Slave carrying an elephant tusk. Both the trade; slavery and elephant tusks were a thriving business passing through Bagamoyo. The replica of the slave is at the entrance door of Caravan Serai, now a museum and at that time, the begining stage of the long safari to the western part of Tanganyika for these abominable trade.

The historical handcuffs or slave chain: source Tropen Museum, Nederlands. Ijzeren Vietringvoor.