Uko bajyanywe mu bucakara

KUVA mu kinyejana cya 17 kugeza mu cya 19, umugi wa Ouidah wabaye ihuriro rikomeye ry’ubucuruzi bw’abacakara mu Burengerazuba bw’Afurika. Umugi wa Ouidah ubu uherereye mu gihugu cya Bene, wanyujijwemo abantu barenga miriyoni bajyanywe mu bucakara. Incuro nyinshi, Abanyafurika bagurishaga bene wabo bakabagurana inzoga, imyambaro, ibikomo, ibyuma n’inkota, ariko cyane cyane imbunda, kuko zakoreshwaga mu ntambara z’amoko.

Hagati y’ikinyejana cya 16 n’icya 19, Abanyafurika bagera kuri miriyoni 12 banyujijwe mu nyanja ya Atalantika bajyanywe ku mugabane w’Amerika, ahari hakenewe abacakara benshi bo gukora mu mirima no mu birombe bicukurwamo amabuye y’agaciro. Hari igitabo cyavuze ko abagera kuri 85 ku ijana “bajyanywe muri Burezili no mu birwa bitandukanye bya Karayibe byakoronizwaga n’Abongereza, Abafaransa, Abesipanyoli n’Abaholandi” (American Slavery—1619-1877). Abagera kuri batandatu ku ijana bagiye gukorera mu ntara zari zarakoronijwe n’abanyamahanga, zaje kuba zimwe mu zigize Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika.a

Iyo abacakara batangiraga urugendo, abenshi muri bo bababoheshaga iminyururu, bakabakubita, bakanabashyiraho ibimenyetso ku mubiri bigaragaza ko ari abacakara. Bakoraga urugendo rw’ibirometero bine n’amaguru, baturutse mu nzu y’igihome ubu yavuguruwe igahinduka Inzu ndangamurage ya Ouidah. Bahavaga berekeza ku mwaro w’inyanja, aho muri iki gihe bita “Irembo ry’abagenda ubutazagaruka.” Aho ni ho abacakara basorezaga urugendo rwabo mbere yo kurira amato. Icyakora iryo rembo ni ikigereranyo, kubera ko abacakara bose batuririraga amato ahantu hamwe. Kuki ubucakara bwamamaye cyane?

Amateka mabi kandi yamaze igihe kirekire

Kera cyane, abategetsi b’Abanyafurika bagurishaga abacuruzi b’Abarabu imfungwa z’intambara. Nyuma yaho, ibihugu by’ibihangange by’i Burayi byatangiye ubucuruzi bw’abacakara, cyane cyane igihe byatangiraga gukoroniza umugabane wa Amerika. Icyo gihe intambara z’amoko ndetse n’abantu bafatwagaho iminyago muri izo ntambara, byatumye haboneka abacakara benshi. Nguko uko ubucuruzi bw’abacakara bwakijije abacuruzi b’abanyamururumba babacuruzaga, hamwe n’ababaga batsinze muri izo ntambara. Nanone, abacakara bavaga mu bantu babaga bashimuswe, cyangwa abacuruzi b’Abanyafurika bakajya kubashakisha muri Afurika rwagati. Icyo gihe umuntu wese yashoboraga kugurishwa akaba umucakara, kabone n’iyo yaba ari umutware umwami yabaga yakuyeho amaboko.

Umucuruzi w’abacakara uzwi cyane yari Umunyaburezili witwaga Francisco Félix de Souza. Mu mwaka wa 1788, De Souza yabaye umuyobozi w’inzu y’igihome yahuriragamo abacakara bose bagurishirizwaga mu kigobe cya Bene, mu mugi wa Ouidah. Icyo gihe umugi wa Ouidah wagenzurwaga n’ubwami bwa Dahomey. Ariko kandi, De Souza yaje kugirana ikibazo n’Umwami wa Dahomey witwaga Adandozan. Ku bw’ibyo, De Souza icyo gihe ushobora kuba yari ari muri gereza, yagambanye na murumuna w’umwami, maze baza kumuhirika mu mwaka wa 1818. Nguko uko umwami mushya Ghezo na De Souza wahise ashingwa ubucuruzi bw’abacakara, bagiranye umubano wabazaniye amafaranga menshi.b

Ghezo yari afite intego yo kwagura ubwami bwe, kandi yari akeneye imbunda z’Abanyaburayi kugira ngo ayigereho. Ibyo byatumye ashyiraho De Souza kugira ngo amuhagararire mu mugi wa Ouidah, maze ajye amufasha gukorana ubucuruzi n’Abanyaburayi. Kubera ko De Souza ari we wenyine wari ufite uburenganzira bwo kugurisha abacakara muri ako gace ka Afurika, yahise agira ubutunzi bwinshi, kandi bidatinze isoko ry’abacakara ryari hafi y’iwe, rihinduka ihuriro ry’abacuruzi b’abanyamahanga n’ab’Abanyafurika.

Urugendo rwuzuye amarira

Muri iki gihe, iyo umuntu asuye umugi wa Ouidah ashaka kureba inzira abacakara banyuragamo, ahera ku nzu y’igihome y’Abanyaporutugali yavuguruwe. Iyo nzu y’igihome yari yarubatswe mu mwaka wa 1721, ubu yagizwe inzu ndangamurage yavuzwe mu ntangiriro y’iyi nkuru. Abanyagano babaga bagiye kugirwa abacakara barundanyirizwaga mu mbuga nini y’iyo nzu. Abenshi bahageraga bamaze iminsi barara amajoro bagenda n’amaguru, kandi babahambiranyije iminyururu. Kuki bakoraga urugendo nijoro? Umwijima watumaga bayoberwa aho bari, kandi abashakaga gutoroka ngo basubire iwabo bikabagora.

Iyo itsinda ry’abacakara ryahageraga, batezwaga cyamunara maze abacuruzi bagashyira ikimenyetso ku bacakara batoranyije. Abacakara bo koherezwa mu mahanga bajyanwaga ku mwaro, aho ubwato buto bwabagezaga ku mato manini.

Ikindi kintu kiranga amateka ubona iyo wasuye aho hantu abacakara banyuraga, ni ahahoze icyo bise “Igiti cyo kwibagirwa.” Ubu ahahoze icyo giti hubatswe urwibutso. Abacakara bahatirwaga kuzenguruka icyo giti, abagabo bakakizenguruka incuro icyenda, naho abagore bakakizenguruka incuro ndwi. Bababwiraga ko icyo gikorwa cyatumaga bibagirwa iwabo, bityo ntibatekereze ibyo kwigomeka.

Iyo usuye aho hantu abacakara banyuraga, nanone uhabona inyubako yibutsa abantu utuzu tw’utururi twitwaga Zomaï, ubu tukaba tutakiriho. Ijambo Zomaï ryerekeza ku mwijima wahoraga muri utwo tuzu, twafashaga abacakara kumenyera ubuzima bubi cyane bari guhurira na bwo mu ngendo bakoraga bapakiwe mu mato. Kandi koko, bashobora kuba baramaraga amezi menshi bari muri utwo tururi, bategereje ko amato abajyana. Abagwaga muri utwo tuzu bahambwaga mu mva rusange.

Icyakora, urwibutso rwa Zomachi rwubatse aho ngaho, rukaba ari ikimenyetso cyo kwihana no kwiyunga, rwo rurihariye. Abakomoka ku bacakara n’abakomoka ku bacuruzaga abacakara bahurira aho hantu buri mwaka muri Mutarama, maze bagasabira imbabazi abakoze ibyo bikorwa by’akarengane.

Ahantu ha nyuma umuntu asura iyo bamutembereza, ni urwibutso bise “Irembo ry’Abagenda Ubutazagaruka,” rukaba rwibutsa abantu ibihe bya nyuma abacakara bamaraga ku butaka bwa Afurika. Iryo rembo rinini rishushanyijeho abacakara b’Abanyafurika baboheranyije iminyururu, batonze imirongo ibiri yerekeza ku mwaro w’inyanja wo hafi aho, bitegeye inyanja ya Atalantika. Hari abavuga ko iyo bamwe mu bacakara babaga bihebye bahageraga, baryaga umucanga kugira ngo bibuke igihugu cyabo cya kavukire. Abandi bo bahitagamo kwiyahura binigishije iminyururu yabaga ibaziritse.

Uko ubucakara bwacitse

Mu ntangiriro y’imyaka ya 1800, hashyizweho imihati myinshi yo guca ubucakara. Ubwato bwa nyuma bwagejeje abacakara muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika bubavanye mu mugi wa Ouidah, bwahabagejeje muri Nyakanga 1860, babuviramo mu mugi wa Mobile wo muri leta ya Alabama. Icyakora ntibamaze igihe kirekire muri ubwo bucakara, kuko mu mwaka wa 1863 Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika zatangaje ku mugaragaro ko ubucakara buciwe. Ubucakara bwacitse burundu ku mugabane wa Amerika mu mwaka wa 1888, igihe igihugu cya Burezili cyacaga ubucakara.c

Ikintu kigaragara cyane ubucakara bwagezeho, ni uko Abanyafurika bakwirakwiriye hirya no hino ku isi, ibyo bikaba byaragize ingaruka ku mubare w’abaturage b’ibihugu byinshi byo ku mugabane wa Amerika n’umuco wabyo. Undi murage wasizwe n’ubucakara, ni ikwirakwizwa rya Vodu, akaba ari uburyo bw’ubupfumu n’imitongero bwogeye cyane muri Hayiti. Hari igitabo cyagize kiti “ijambo vodu, rikomoka ku ijambo vodun, risobanura imana, cyangwa umuzimu, mu rurimi rw’abaturage b’Abafoni bo mu gihugu cya Bene (cyahoze cyitwa Dahomey).”

Ikibabaje ni uko hari ubundi bucakara buteye agahinda bukigaragara no muri iki gihe, nubwo butameze nk’ubucakara busanzwe. Urugero, abantu babarirwa muri za miriyoni bamara igihe kirekire bakora akazi kagoye, kugira ngo bahangane n’ikibazo cy’ubukungu bwifashe nabi. Abandi bahanganye n’ubutegetsi bw’igitugu (Umubwiriza 8:9). Nanone abantu babarirwa muri za miriyoni babaswe n’inyigisho hamwe n’imigenzo y’amadini y’ibinyoma. Ese ubutegetsi bw’abantu bushobora kuvana abayoboke babwo muri ubwo bubata? Ibyo ntibishoboka. Yehova Imana ni we wenyine wabishobora kandi azabikora. Ijambo rye ryanditse ari ryo Bibiliya, ridusezeranya ko abantu bose bahindukirira Yehova bakamusenga mu buryo buhuje n’ukuri ko muri Bibiliya, ari ko kuri kubohora abantu, ‘bazagira umudendezo uhebuje w’abana b’Imana.’—Abaroma 8:21; Yohana 8:32.

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Agasanduku/​Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 26]

“UMUNTU AGIRA UBUBASHA KU WUNDI BWO KUMUGIRIRA NABI”

Abantu benshi bemeza ko kugira ngo abacuruzaga abacakara babone iminyago, bateraga imidugudu, maze bagashimuta umuntu wese babaga bashaka. Nubwo ari uko bishobora kuba byaragenze, umwarimu muri kaminuza wigisha amateka yo muri Afurika witwa Dr. Robert Harms, yagiranye ikiganiro n’abanyamakuru kuri radiyo, maze avuga ko abacuruzaga abacakara batari gushobora gushimuta abantu babarirwa muri za miriyoni, “iyo abo bacuruzi bataza gukorana n’abategetsi bo muri Afurika.” Ibyo bigaragaza neza ko Bibiliya ivuga ukuri, iyo igira iti “umuntu agira ububasha ku wundi bwo kumugirira nabi.”—Umubwiriza 8:9.

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

© Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY

[Amakarita yo ku ipaji ya 26]

(Niba wifuza kureba uko bimeze, reba mu igazeti ya Nimukanguke!)

Abanyafurika bagera kuri miriyoni 12 bambutse inyanja ya Atalantika bajyanywe mu bucakara

AFURIKA

BENE

Ouidah

Umwaro w’abacakara

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 26]

Iyi nzu y’Abanyaporutugali yo mu wa 1721, ubu yahindutse Inzu ndangamurage ya Ouidah

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

© Gary Cook/Alamy

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 27]

Ikibumbano cy’umucakara uboshye bafunze umunwa

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 27]

Irembo ry’abagenda ubutazagaruka, ryibutsa ibihe bya nyuma abacakara bamaraga ku butaka bwa Afurika

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

© Danita Delimont/Alamy