Thread by @ManjaKoi

People often say Africans didnt care about their own people across the Atlantic.
Kongo kingdom went to war with the Portuguese Empire 🇵🇹 defeating them at the Battle of Mbabda Kasi forcing the Portuguese too return thousands of enslaved Kongo citizens
#Africa #Angola #History a🧵

In the 1620s The Portuguese empire wanted to expand their rule and their slave trade in the Congo region.
Wishing too take out the kingdoms of Ndongo and Kongo, the Portuguese allied with a local cannibal militaristic cult known as the Imbangala in a pact to defeat and enslave…

The citizens of both kingdoms.
Portugal would backstab their former ally Kongo and invade the kingdom.
At the battle of Mbumbi the 10,000. Portuguese and 20,000. Imbangala merchandise would overwhelm 3000 Kongo soldiers.
Many towns where burnt and thousands enslaved.

The story does not end there, King Nkanga a Mvika was a powerful king and he immediately declared the Portuguese colony of Angola an enemy of Kongo.
He rallied the main army of 30,000 soldiers and marched on the Portuguese slaver army…

With the home field advantage king Nkanga outmaneuvers the Portuguese and Imbangala and totally crushes their forces at the Battle of Mbandi Kasi in January 162;
The entire Portuguese army was destroyed and pushed out of the Kongo Kingdom.

The defeat was so crushing for Portugal, all of their merchants and citizens in their Angola colony where now unprotected.
Before he could march on Luanda the Portuguese Empire sent an embassy asking for peace. In exchange they would return 1200 enslaved Kongo citizens…

back across the Atlantic from their overseas colony Brazil and pay war reparations.

King Nkanga agreed too peace and too protect the Portuguese merchants living in his kingdom. Portugal was forced to repatriate 1200 enslaved Africans home.

End of 🧵

Despite what you hear there where many African leaders who where against the European controlled slave trade as it was happening.

African participation in the slave trade gets highlighted while stories where Africans fought against it go untold.

Thanks for reading 👋🏿

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