Madison Kenny

Mrs. Lucarelli

World History

20 April, 2018

Human Trafficking in Africa: Present

Slave trade from 1400 has a huge impact on the world today. Some positive effects it has

had was with slave trade, it brought African art, literature, music, and sports to different

countries around the world. But those are some of the only positive effects, most effects of the

slave trade are negative. One effect was with the trade out of Africa, also came trade into Africa,

so of these items traded where guns and other weapons, these guns have lead to warfare in Africa

that is still going on today. Also, it has lead to the devastation of many cultures where slave

trade was happening.

Slave trade was also the start of human trafficking today. Though slave trade was banned

everywhere, people are still be taken into human trafficking, which leads to sex trafficking and

forced prostitution. It also leads to many people dying and suffering from harsh environments,

whether its as a sex slave, a slave, or as a worker.

Today, most people are trying to be smuggled across different places in Africa because of

the war that is happening in many parts of Africa. So smugglers will trick people into thinking

they are being moved, but end up using these innocent people as slaves. Or people being

smuggled instead of being kept as slaves they will be sold to others. Being sold makes them

property to people who will treat them poorly or force them into situation that they do not want

to do.
 Today sex slaves is one of the most common types of slavery. “There are many kinds of

human trafficking. According to the mentioned UNDOC report, sexual exploitation is with its

79% the far most common form of human trafficking. The second most common is forced

labour (18%). In Africa, most of the different kinds of trafficking take place. Farm labour,

domestic work and sexual exploitation are common types of trafficking. Women can also be

trafficked to be “wives”, and girls can be sold as child brides. Children can also be trafficked for

use in ritual sacrifice or as child soldiers” (Untold Stories of Silence). This is evidence of the

many different types of slave trade in Africa, and around the world.

All of these types are effects from the slave trade that has happened in 1400 till it was

banned. Plus, how most people are smuggled to get away from warfare, most warfare has started

from the effects of the slave trade and European countries taking over parts of Africa. “40,000:

The number of victims of human trafficking who have been identified in the past one year in the

region. 2012: The year in which a Ugandan was arrested in Spain for allegedly trafficking

Nigerian women into forced prostitution. 10: The 2008 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act outlaws

all forms of trafficking and prescribes punishments of one to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or

both” (Human trafficking: The modern form of slavery eating up East Africa). These numbers

show different things that are happening in the world of human trafficking.

Many people are going through tough climates and environments and conditions, because

of the slave trade that happened in 1400, if those men in Portugal did not take those slaves from

Africa, the pain of so many would not be happening today.