Written by Michaela Pia Camilleri
Today marks the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. It is important to remember humanity’s history- of cruelty that is slavery which our ancestors contributed to so senselessly. It seems that this cruelty however, is a recurring phenomenon. Particularly seeing the xenophobia certain people so proudly endorse.
Why was Slavery Justified?
The Americans, Europeans and us Maltese are the reason why Africans travel miles and endure the most precarious conditions. We have decided to erase our horrendous and cruel deeds and push them underneath the carpet. Slave trade in Africa started with the Europeans. The horrible deeds the British, Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians (who everyone seems to forget) and other powers have done to maintain such power are often overlooked.
La Mission Civillisatrice was a civilizing mission that posed the following argument, which justified the horrors of colonialism;
“We made them more civilized than they could ever make themselves become.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Africa thrived before exploitation (dressed as colonization) began. Before colonisers arrived, it had its own forms of commerce, science, art, and measures of what is considered civilised. Imperialists failed to recognise, and actively distorted, the notion of civilisation and successful ways of living different to theirs. Shocking . The exploitation of Africa started with wars inspired to procure slaves and export them to the West. The International Slave Trade continued well into the 19th century. Needless to say, these slaves were treated cruelly as if less than human.
Slavery in Malta?
If you think that the Maltese had nothing to do with this, think again. Schools leave out the fact that: in the 18th century Malta was deemed one of the four most prominent Mediterranean countries to practiced slave trade . It was only abolished with the arrival of Napoleon in Malta. Historian Godfrey Wettinger discussed this in his scholarly article Black African Slaves in Malta. The Maltese contributed to these disgusting inhumane crimes for the sake of wealth, while obliterating that of these other countries. Europe underdeveloped Africa, so Africa could develop Europe.
Colonisation: The act of settling and establishing control over the indigenous people in the area
Colonisation pushed these African communities under the tyranny of Europeans. Their main intention was the exploitation of the mineral and agricultural wealth taken at the lowest prices. A search on the Belgians in Congo should be clear enough. Clearly, the economic and societal improvement of these countries was not the aim, as the African enterprise was rejected by the Europeans’ greed. The work Africans could do was that of serving these tyrannical superpowers. Africans were made to feel inferior, that their skin, customs and way of life were not right. This internalised racism festered into a perceived inferiority. They felt that they could not improve their situation, let alone take control of their country, since their dignity and self-respect
was quashed.
Consequently, these countries have not yet managed to recover. Their situation hasn’t been improved by their mineral wealth. On the contrary, Westerners, be them imperialists or modern day multinationals, skew the configuration to benefit the corrupt elite and themselves, thus allowing this practice to carry on.
Act of Exploitation
The assassination of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in 1961 by the USA and Belgium is a quintessential example of outside intereference. Lumumba believed in the need to free Africa from the Europeans’ and Americans’ iron fist, yet the US had not yet finished exploiting Congo’s mineral wealth. The USA paid billions of dollars to Mobutu Sese Seko and Joseph Kasa-Vubu, who were also given weapons directly from the CIA, to kill Lumumba and suppress any attempt by Africans to stop this exploitation.
Conclusion
These tyrants who seek self-profit still control these minerally wealthy but impoverished countries, indulging in their wealth, leaving the impoverished people’s hands tied. How can these people be blamed for seeking better lives? The system of global inequality has ruined any chance of it. The irregular migration Europe has been facing is far less than what is deserved. We should feel ashamed of our past. Africa had so much potential, probably being the richest continent of natural resources. Yet a history of exploitation has left them too unstable to actualise their potential.
Is this how we treat our brothers and sisters who are no less but maybe more human than us?
How do we have the decency to ignore their calls for help to escape the very same societies we ruined?
Check this article out to learn 40 Ways to Fight Racism
