Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has confirmed that the commemoration of the United Nations Day for Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade in Sierra Leone was a success.

Sierra Leone on Monday 25th March, 2024 conducted a hugely successful commemoration of the United Nations “International Day for Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade” at a small but poignant event held at the Africell American Corner along Bathurst Street, Freetown.

The Keynote Address was delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba.

The Foreign Minister painstakingly took down notes as each person spoke before he delivered his prepared statement that he seasoned with remarks on the contents of previous speakers.

The Foreign Minister emotionally moved the gathering with his eloquent rendition of the issues around the unfortunate 400 years of Transatlantic Slave Trade.

His Address touched on topical issues like Climate Change and found links between such current global issues and the effects of the Slave Trade. His address was well received with thunderous applause by the gathering of mostly Pan-Africanists in Sierra Leone including university students.

Messages were also delivered by the following distinguished VVIPs:

Minister of Social Welfare (acting), Alhaji Mohamed Haji-Kella who highlighted that Slave Trade was not just about the physical but even the mental and psychological abuse.

He recalled of the Sexual Assault and Rapes of hundreds of thousands of Black Female Slaves by white slavers. He recalled how agitation led to the UN declaring the Day and said only agitation will ensure Reparations for Transatlantic Slave Trade.

He recalled attending one such agitation conference in Europe about 23 years ago in 2001. He chanted Pan Africanists slogans, much to the delight of the gathering.

Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs delivered her Statement through her Director of Culture in which she asserted on the role of her ministry in helping to keep the issues of Slave Trade alive through protecting the relics of Slave Trade in the country as a permanent reminder.

Office of the President through the Chief Minister Dr. David Sengeh also sent a representative who declared the total dedication of the Government of President Bio towards the issues on the Table especially with regards the aspect of Civic Education.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator through Lawyer Uchenna Emelonye, LL.D her Senior Human Rights Adviser, delivered a frank, blunt and very candid position paper which re-echoed the style, the tone and content of the statements delivered that same day at the UN Headquarters in New York by the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

He urged that there is still in existence a form of slavery that he referred to as the more insidious form of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. He called it the “Black Market Slave Trade”.

Kent Village representative, Lawrence Beccles, eloquently took the gathering through a narration about the relics of the Slave Trade which were still present at Kent especially harrowing details of the Slave Pen, the Walled enclosures and the Gates of No Return, the still functional Water Well, the Anchor points of Slave Ships and so much more.

He lamented of the disappearance of the 8 feet high Cooking Pot which was stolen and is believed to have been smelted. He called for the protection of such relics and monuments.

York Village Headman, Julrick Pratt as well took the gathering through many of the sites on York Village that were reminders of the Slave Trade. He also spoke about historical import of the names and locales on York with respect the practice of Slavery.

He described the Borbor Combo washing area for male slaves that still existed. He invited the world to visit York and called for preservation of marks and evidence of White on Black inhumanity.

Two representatives of the Descendants of Former Slaves also made Statements.

Former Principal of the Freetown Secondary School for Girls (FSSG), Madam Monica Elvira Bobson-Kamara spoke as a female descendant during which she posed many questions and made recommendations as to how to ease the pains that Slavery left on descendants of slaves.

Lawyer Samuel Valcarcel Esq. gave a poignant recollection of Slave Trade and its effects on the psychological well-being of the Black Man. He gave personal experiences of being questioned at Immigration Desks around the world and he also spoke of debilitating effects of Slavery still lingering.

One of the most highly respected Pan-Africanists in Sierra Leone Father Elijah Issa Gegra addressed the gathering and passionately appealed to not only Sierra Leone citizens but to Blacks across the World to emancipate themselves from mental slavery. Father Elijah profusely thanked the organisers for convening what should have been done a long time ago.

A background to the issues around the annual World Day being declared by the United Nations and an analysis of the theme for this year 2024 commemoration were done by Mr. Mohamed Munu and Mr. Sulaiman Issa Kamara respectively. Both are part of the UNIA-ACL/ARISE who co-convened the gathering alongside Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR.

In her opening remarks as Chairperson, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden spoke of the importance of the Day and spoke of her recent travels to Ghana Slave Trade castles, to the United States Virgin Islands and to Jamaica as well as her in-country exploration of Sierra Leone slave sites and relics.

She also later buttressed the fact that hundreds of thousands of African women were not only forcibly taken out of Africa by whites but they got brutally raped and sexually assaulted as if they were animals. She said the Reparations for Slavery should make sure such sexual abuse was taken into account.

A skit play by UNIA/ARISE depicted slavery including the trickery of white slavers and the betrayals of black Chiefs who allowed the sale of blacks to white slavers.

The Welcome Statement, Prayers and the Vote of Thanks were all done by members of the UNIA-ACL/ARISE.

It is a starting point of what we hope will be more awareness, as envisaged by the United Nations, of the Injustice of the Americans, the British and European Union countries like the Portuguese towards Blacks via 400 years of Slavery & the Transatlantic Slave Trade, looking forward to better collaboration and an eventual reparation owed to the Nations of the victims and to the descendants of those who suffered the wrath of the indignity of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.