Traditional rulers must apologise for slavery

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is in a fresh bid to re-write its constitution.

African traditional rulers must apologise for their role in capturing and trans-Atlantic marketing of slaves, Nigerian rights activists demanded on Wednesday.

The Civil Rights Congress (CRC), a leading coalition of human rights groups, said in a sequel to apologies by the US Senate last June and by Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair for slavery, it was time African traditional leaders take their cue.

- We cannot continue to blame the white men, as Africans, particularly the traditional rulers, are not blameless- said the grouping in a letter to Nigerian traditional chiefs.

The rulers had participated by - helping to systematically raid and kidnap ... defenceless communities ... and then trading them off with European, American and other collaborators. -

They must apologise on behalf of their ancestors and - put a final seal to the history of slave trade. -

- In view of the fact that the Americans and Europe have accepted the cruelty of their roles and have forcefully apologised, it would be logical, reasonable and humbling if African traditional rulers, ... (can) accept blame and formally apologise to the descendants of the victims of their collaborative and exploitative slave trade - it said.

Nigeria's ancient coastal town of Badagry saw countless numbers of Africans transported across the Atlantic Ocean to work on plantations in Europe, America and the Carribean. Other popular slave posts on the west African coast are Cape Coast in Ghana and Goree Island of Senegal.

Shehu Sani, head of the CRC, said the rights campaigners want an apology for the atrocities before the traditional leaders, who are currently not recognised by the Nigeria laws, can be included in the country's new constitution.

- We are saying they have no role to be recognised by the constitution until they apologise to the descendants of victims of slave trade - Sani told AFP.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is in a fresh bid to re-write its constitution.

The CRC is hopeful that if Nigerian leaders offer their apology, rulers in other countries that were notorious for slave trade would follow suit.