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Slavery Legacy in the Congo Basin

par Arazi, Noémie ;Matonda, Igor;Smith, Alexandre Livingstone
Référence Routledge Handbook of Critical African Heritage Studies, Taylor and Francis, page (143-159)
Publication Publié, 2024-01

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Résumé :

In the Congo Basin, a vast area between the Gulf of Guinea and the Great Lakes region, the trade in enslaved people spans multiple histories with complex geographical networks, different time frames, and a multitude of internal and external actors. Stimulated by UNESCO's slave route project, the different countries that are wholly or partially situated within the Congo Basin have increasingly engaged with the material and immaterial heritage of slavery. However, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been more restrained than its neighbours. Different quarters talk of a generalised amnesia in Congolese society regarding the history of slavery, observing the lack of commemorative events and monuments, the neglect in site preservation and valorisation, and the meagre space it occupies in school manuals. The most obvious reasons for this generalised silence might be explained by the country's ongoing socio-economic difficulties and conflicts, which relegate the cultural heritage sector to the margins of national policies and priorities. However, a historical perspective exposes the legacy of forced labour regimes and resource extraction. This chapter critically examines how these uninterrupted nodes between past and present forms of slavery might undermine national initiatives of remembrance. It also discusses how recent investigations on the material and immaterial heritage could help in stimulating national debate and shaping an understanding of historic and modern slavery.