Thomas Naadi
BBC Africa, Accra
Hulton Archive
This sketch from the 1750s shows a ship used to transport enslaved Africans to the Americas
The Danish government has apologized to Ghana for its role in the slave trade.
Foreign Minister Anders Samuelson described it as a “sinful and unforgettable” part of human history that cannot be justified under any circumstance.
A delegation from Demark led by Queen Magarethe II is in Ghana on an official visit.
Ghana, which was known as the Gold Coast, was made a Danish crown colony in 1750, at a time when the global trade in African slaves was very active.
The Danish government sold its territory to Britain in 1814 but thousands of Ghanaians were already sold into slavery in Europe and America.
Denmark was among the first countries to abolish slavery in 1792.
On the agenda during the Danish Queen’s visit to Ghana is the problem of human trafficking and the causes of mass migration, like poverty, unemployment and conflict