Descendants of enslaved Africans find connection in Ghana

Northern Ghana was historically a center for the trade of human lives: captives from northern communities like Nok, now part of Togo, were taken to slave markets.

DW's Maxwell Suuk joined a group of descendants on their poignant return.

They seek to reconnect with their ancestors. Charmine, John, and Marian are descendants of enslaved Africans.

Having been born in the Caribbean, they traveled from New York to Northern Togo.

Nok is where the Moba people sought refuge from the Tchokosis, who were slave raiders targeting their neighbors to sell to European traders.

For Charmine, who hails from Trinidad, this reunion is deeply emotional.

To learn more, I visited Salaga, a northern town steeped in trade history. It has long been known for its commerce, dealing in items like salt, cola nuts -PAUSE- and human lives.

Africans abducted from areas around Nok were enslaved after capture and forced to march in chains for days to the Slave Market in Salaga.

Those who perished along the way were discarded, while survivors were displayed like livestock for European and American buyers.

Chains, shackles, and Danish firearms are remnants of slavery preserved by locals in a small museum.

Slavery was only abolished here in the late 19th century following the invasion by British colonialists.

Just outside Salaga, oral history recounts that historic slave wells are another remnant of the trade:

These wells were used to cleanse slaves brought to the Salaga Slave Market.

The Ghana Tourism Authority renovated them in 2024.

Some even drink from these wells, claiming it connects them to the spirits of their ancestors who were torn apart by the cruel slave trade.

Yet, decades later, the descendants of slaves are making their way back home.

Nakpanduri is one of the communities that suffered greatly from slave raiding.

John Francis feels he has reconnected with his lineage -- and he has photographs to prove it.