Slavery in Somalia

Slavery in Somalia existed as a part of the East African slave trade and Arab slave trade. Ethiopians, especially Habesha and Oromo peoples, were captured and sold to foreign traders in the Middle-East and beyond. Later in the mid 18th century, to meet the demand for menial labor, Bantu slaves from the Congo, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya began to be exported from Zanzibar and were sold in large numbers to Somali customers.