Historical memories on slavery in southern Somalia and Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

Slavery versus forced labor

Abstract

Living memories of past movements and migrations in and out of the Querimbas Islands, especially Ibo Island, are apt to present some surprises. When talking about slavery, some elders’ shared memories sometimes seem to be defensive, serving to justify the practice of slavery rather than decrying it. This may be ascribed to several factors. External observers often look at dependency interrelations in poor areas in ways that do not coincide with the views held by local people and there may be relevant historical reasons to account for the different perceptions. The reasons which lie behind the viewpoint held by some Ibo islanders would seem to be related to past events and conflicts that occurred many decades after slavery was abolished. This paper will explore some such reasons by inquiring into the ways people were recruited as forced laborers and looking into the policies that facilitated the lives of servants as opposed to people with autonomous occupations who could be coerced into forced laborer.