Africa’s Slaves Today, first published in 1975, examines the question of the persistence of slavery in modern Africa. It concludes that slavery is by no means dead in certain regions, but that at the same time clear-cut definitions of ‘slave’ and ‘free’ are often impossible to establish. In the Sahara particularly centuries of tradition involving slavery or semi-slavery have ensured a persistence of the status quo in all but name. Recent instances of Africans sold into slavery in Arabia are discussed, together with a detailed survey of slavery throughout North Africa and Ethiopia. At what stage forced labour becomes slavery is a difficult question raised by the discussion of the white South. The whole subject of slavery is put into perspective by contrasting examinations of the historical situation throughout the book.
1. The Moors and their Slaves 2. Tuareg and Other Sahara Slaves 3. Savanna Slaves 4. Black African Slaves and Serfs 5. The Old Slave-Trade 6. One-Way Trips to Arabia 7. Ethiopia’s Modern Slaves 8. Colonisation and Forced Labour 9. Forced Labour in the White South 10. Forced Labour in Liberia 11. Modern Exploitation 12. Action on Slavery
Biography
Jonathan Derrick
