PoliticsRace
đ€ former slave-trading center gorĂ©eâs mayor & eu ambassador inaugurate square honoring europe on the island
The island of Gorée in Senegal has had a very intense relationship with Europe, to say the least. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast.
The island hosts a memorial called The House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) and its âDoor of No Returnâ to remember the horrors of the trade organized by Europeans.
So when city of GorĂ©e Mayor Augustin Senghor and European Union Ambassador in Senegal JoaquĂn GonzĂĄlez-Ducay inaugurated âEurope Squareâ (Place de lâEurope) on Wednesday, many were left scratching their head.
During his speech, the Mayor talked about the islandâs long ârelationshipâ with several European countries, without ever mentioning what kind of relationship it was, and without mentioning how the European Unionâs neocolonialist policies STILL affect Senegal and most African countries to this day.
âGorĂ©e is Europeanâ, he saidâŠ
And even if he mentioned it, why honor Europe with a square? Arenât there better ways to acknowledge Europeâs shameful deeds? In the current battle of ideas challenging neocolonialism, this looks like a shady move to make Europeans feel better.
Thoughts?
â Nounouche
Get The Latest
Signup for the AFROPUNK newsletter