CONFLICTED Conflicted Revisited: Ethiopia’s Overlooked Conflict
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Nov 26, 2025 Martin Plaut, a distinguished journalist and author, shares his expertise on Ethiopia’s Tigray War and its significance for the Horn of Africa. He reflects on his upbringing in apartheid South Africa and his journey into journalism amid political activism. The conversation delves into the complex history of African slavery, highlighting misconceptions and the extensive regional dynamics involved. Plaut explains the Eritrean influence on the Tigray conflict and the humanitarian catastrophes stemming from it, revealing the fragile nature of ceasefire agreements and the region's ongoing instability.
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Cape Town Memory That Sparked A Study
- Martin Plaut recalls Cape Town's Muslim slave-descendant community and the call to prayer that shaped his early view of slavery.
- He traced a city councillor's lineage to Indian Ocean slavery, sparking his lifelong study of African enslavement.
Transatlantic Trade Is Only Part Of The Story
- Transatlantic slavery is well-documented but represents only a fraction of African slavery's history and scale.
- The Sokoto Caliphate alone had comparable slave numbers to the U.S. at mid-19th century levels.
Slavery In Africa Spans Five Thousand Years
- African slavery predates European involvement by millennia and persists in various forms today.
- Plaut estimates up to a million people may still live in chattel slavery across Africa.
