Slavery’s dark legacy survives today in the West and, perhaps more virulently, in Africa. In 1992, civil war erupted in Somalia. The country’s collapse was especially disastrous for the Somali Bantu, an already heavily persecuted group of poor Somali farmers who trace their ancestry back to slaves brought to Somalia from Tanzania and Mozambique in the 18th and 19th centuries. Bantu villages were razed, families robbed, raped and murdered by Somali militiamen. Survivors were forced to flee to refugee camps in Kenya, where other refugees continued to attack the Bantu.

In 2003, the United States opened its doors to some 12,000 of the Somali Bantu, including Aweiss Hussein. One year ago this month, he and his family left the Kenyan refugee camps and began a new life in Boston. He recently spoke with independent producer, Wambui Wamunyu.

In this radio diary, Aweiss Hussein describes the violence he endured in Somalia, and life in a new world that does not see him as a slave.

Guests:

Aweiss Hussein, Somali Bantu now living with his family in Boston

Awill Dualeh, Somali musician.