Manden Charter

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The Manden Charter was conceived by the brotherhood of hunters in Mandé (to the south of Bamako). This declaration, solemnly proclaimed on the on the day Sundiata Keita became emperor of Mali in 1222, was preserved in oral form.

It established the principles of respect for human life, individual freedom and solidarity. In it the brotherhood affirmed their opposition to slavery, which had become common in western Africa. The abolition of slavery was one of Sundiata Keita's major achievements.

This Charter was thus one of the earliest declarations of human rights.

[edit] Sources

• La Charte du Mandé et autres traditions du Mali, Aboubacar Fofana, Les Carnets du calligraphe, éditions Albin Michel.