Danish Govt Apologises for Shameful, Dark Slave Trade

The Danish government has officially apologized to Ghana for its role in the dark history of slave trade in the then Gold Coast.

The Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelson says nothing can justify the inhuman treatment meted out to human beings under the guise of slave trade.

Mr Samuelson made the comment when the Danish delegation paid a visit to Ghana’s president, Thursday.

The delegation was led by the Danish Queen Magarethe II.

Dark history

The then Gold Coast was made a Danish crown colony in 1750 after entrenching slave trade.

In 1814, the Danish government would later sell its territories including that of the Gold Coast to the British government.

Before that, though thousands of Ghanaians had been shipped as slaves to Denmark and other European countries and the Americas.

They were beaten, tortured and swapped with items like ivory, gold etc. They were later handed menial jobs in the countries they were shipped to and they helped in developing those countries.

Admittedly the Danish government were part of those who first abolished slave trade.

Several centuries later, the Danish government has apologized once again to the Ghanaian government for its role in the slave trade.

“We share a dark history of slave trade, a shameful, unforgettable part of Danish history. Nothing can justify it,” Mr Samuelson said, shortly after a high profile meeting with Ghana’s president.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey who was briefing the media after the meeting with the Danish Queen said illegal migration had been one of the major issues under discussion.

“Irregular migration and its associated challenges have been receiving lots of attention in the past few years.

“We deliberated on the underlining causes such poverty, pervasive youth unemployment, the proliferation of conflict and endemic instability in parts of our continent.

“We decided to work together towards stemming the tide of irregular migration, particularly the activities of human traffickers. At the same time we are committed to tackling the root causes of mass migration.

She said they are also agreed to respect the rights of all migrants including deportees.

As a marked departure from its shared dark history with Ghana, the Danish Foreign Affairs minister said the country is now looking forward to a progressive collaboration in technology, green growth.

Source: Myjoyonline