The future of the memory of slavery in the Indian Ocean

Remember and Forget in the Island of Mozambique and Zanzibar

Abstract

Memorizing slavery is not a normal or natural phenomenon, it is quite the opposite. This is particularly evident on the Indian coast of Africa. Enslavement is often cited as part of the demand for social justice or reparation, but it is generally not displayed spectacularly, especially when social relations are still shaped by extreme and long-lasting inequalities rooted in slavery. In this text, we briefly describe how UNESCO developed two important projects, directly or indirectly related to the patrimonialization of the memory of transoceanic slavery, the General History of Africa and the Slave Route program. We will then highlight the challenges of preserving the memory associated with slavery in two important places in the history of transoceanic slavery, the islands of Zanzibar and Mozambique.