Abolition of Slavery: Paul Bérenger Calls for the Transmission of Memory

During the national celebrations of the abolition of slavery held on Sunday at Morne, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger reflected on the historical milestones related to slavery, the slave trade, and their respective abolitions, urging the youth to embrace this memory.

He reminded attendees that the United Nations commemorates the abolition of slavery on December 2, the date of the adoption in 1949 of a convention by the General Assembly prohibiting human trafficking. "We celebrate it on February 1. The dates vary in other countries," he stated. UNESCO, on its part, commemorates the abolition of the slave trade every August 23.

Bérenger then distinguished between slavery and the trade of enslaved Africans. "Slavery unfortunately existed in almost every country in the world, but the trade of enslaved Africans primarily devastated Africa. There were three major slave trades from Africa: one between Africa and Latin America, the United States, and the Indian Ocean; a second between Africa and the Middle East; and a third among African countries themselves," he clarified.

He revisited the French revolutionary period, recalling that slavery was abolished on February 4, 1794, in France and its colonies, only to be reinstated by Napoleon in 1802. According to him, this first abolition was achieved under the pressure of the Haitian slave revolt. "Haiti is the only country where enslaved people revolted, but they paid a heavy price. France, the United States, Spain, and Great Britain imposed embargoes on Haiti. Even today, Haiti is still paying the price," he stated. He also emphasized the linguistic connection between Haiti and Mauritius through the Creole language, which he described as "the same." He urged young Mauritians to "know their history."

Regarding Mauritius, Bérenger noted that following the abolition in France in 1794, representatives of the French Revolution, accompanied by 300 soldiers, came to Mauritius as part of the abolition of slavery but were expelled by slave owners. Thus, from 1794 to 1802, the island experienced "a first independence, albeit one that was slaveholding."

Bérenger also highlighted the irony of the abolition. In 1835, under British administration, financial compensation was granted to slave owners as part of the abolition of slavery, "but nothing was given to the enslaved," who were subjected to an apprenticeship system until 1839, marking the effective end of slavery. This system was later replaced by engagement, "which some call indentured labor," which accelerated from 1834. The Deputy Prime Minister argued that slavery and engagement are closely related.

He concluded by emphasizing the symbolic significance of Morne. "Slaves, here and around the world, resisted in countless ways. Slavery and engagement are at the heart of our history. When we celebrate the abolition of slavery, we must also celebrate unity through diversity," he concluded.