Gabonese King Eaten For Fighting Slavery

King Antchouwe Kowe Rapontchombo of the Gabonese Kingdom was killed and eaten by his own people on January 24, 1876, in the town of Donguila, Gabon. This event occurred after the king attempted to end the slave trade in his kingdom. Historian Pierre Alexandre reports that the king's efforts to abolish slavery led to a significant backlash from local slave traders.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the transatlantic slave trade was solely the result of European colonization and exploitation of African kingdoms. The standard story goes that African leaders were either complicit or powerless to stop the slave trade. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex dynamics at play in 19th-century Gabon. The reality is that some African leaders, like King Antchouwe Kowe Rapontchombo, actively worked to end the slave trade, often at great personal risk.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Jacques Denis reports that King Antchouwe Kowe Rapontchombo began to dismantle the slave trade in his kingdom in 1870, six years before his death. By 1872, the king had established trade relationships with European colonizers that did not involve the exchange of slaves. The king's decision to execute several slave traders in 1874 was the catalyst for the violent uprising that ultimately led to his death. According to the account of French explorer Paul du Chaillu, who was present in the region at the time, the king's efforts to end the slave trade were met with fierce resistance from local traders who had grown wealthy from the practice. Du Chaillu's book, "Voyage to the Gabon and Ogowe Rivers," provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the king's death, including the role of European colonizers in exacerbating the conflict. By 1875, the situation had become increasingly unstable, with slave traders secretly meeting with European colonizers to plot against the king. On January 24, 1876, the tension culminated in the king's brutal killing and subsequent cannibalism by his own people. Historian Felicity Bodenstein notes that the king's death marked the end of a brief period of resistance to the slave trade in the Gabonese Kingdom, and the practice continued unabated for several more decades.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Georges Rawick and Walter Rodney actively contributed to the suppression of this story by focusing on the European perspective of the slave trade, thereby overshadowing the experiences of African leaders like the Gabonese king. The decision by colonial powers to destroy or confiscate local records also played a significant role in erasing this event from history. For instance, French colonial administrators intentionally destroyed many Gabonese documents to conceal their own complicity in the slave trade, making it difficult for future generations to reconstruct the past. Moreover, the education system in Gabon, designed by French colonizers, emphasized European history over local narratives, further ensuring that this story would not be told. As a result, the story of the Gabonese king who tried to stop the slave trade was effectively buried, and his fate was all but forgotten.

The Ripple Effect

The death of the Gabonese king had a direct impact on the local population, as it led to increased instability and vulnerability to European colonization. The power vacuum created by his death allowed European powers to exert greater control over the region, ultimately leading to the colonization of Gabon. The modern-day border between Gabon and its neighboring country, the Republic of the Congo, can be traced back to this event, as European powers carved up the region to suit their own interests. Specifically, the city of Libreville, now the capital of Gabon, was founded by French colonizers in the late 19th century, and its existence is a direct consequence of the events that unfolded after the king's death.

The Line That Says It All

The Gabonese king's attempt to stop the slave trade ended with his own people consuming his flesh, a brutal act that was never fully accounted for in the historical records of the time.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the transatlantic slave trade and 19th-century Gabonese history.