Abstract

The history of African slavery is often removed from the conscious collective memory among African and diasporic societies. To the contrary, the history of the Atlantic slave trade to the Americas is prominent in the public memory, partially substituting for the history of African slavery. This leaves unspoken the responsibilities of the African elites in the slavery and slave trades. The relationship between slavery and witchcraft is an intriguing historical problem in connection with the Christian evangelization since the fifteenth century in Guinea and the Congo, as well as with the human sacrifices. This article tries to cast light on these obscure historical relationships in that they are crucial reasons for the reluctance of Africans to talk about slavery.