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Where it's at
A one hour drive from Cotonou is Ouidah, once a prominent
exporter of slaves to the Americas including Haiti, Brazil,
Cuba and New Orleans before falling to the Kingdom of Dahomey.
The slave trade is long gone but artefacts and museums including
the 'Gate of No Return' stand as stark reminders of Ouidah's
past.
What happened here?
Oudiah was the absolute centre of the slave trade. Once a
thriving port where slave traders built colonial mansions,
reminders of the past are ever present. The destiny of one
family has been more tied to the slave trade than any other
here in West Africa. The patriarch of that family came to
Benin from Brazil in 1788 and administered the slave trade
for the king of Dahomey. Don Francisco Felix de Souza
amassed a great fortune having organised the slave trade better
than anyone ever had done previously. Today, a monument stands
in memory of the family whose descendents still wield enormous
respect in Benin and are reluctant to condemn their illustrious
ancestor. This reflects the fact that slavery is still considered
by some to be an act of charity, a chance to escape from execution.
The more sinister side to the slave trade tells a very different
story. Boats were often loaded with double the number of men
than their capacity allowed for and nearly half of those transported
died on the ships. 'Slave Road' was where the slaves
began their journey. Well over a million people were led down
this road at night so that they would feel disorientated,
and those that survived the trip across the ocean became the
slaves in the new world. Despite the region being a beach
resort, it is hard to forget the ghosts of the past.
Modern day slavery
Despite diplomats statements to the contrary, slavery among
tribes is still practised. Slaves are still kept to this day,
particularly by the Tuareg, the Sahel, the Peul
and the Bella tribes. They do all of their work
for them and are not paid for their efforts.
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