Answer:
African ruling class involve in the Atlantic slave trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
Europeans first became interested in Africa for trade route purposes. But they soon found the slavery system that existed before their arrival that practised in different tribes in the west and central region of Africa. According to some historians, Europeans took advantage of surviving slave trade system in Africa to obtain the labour for plantation economy in the New World. The existence of different ethnic group did not share a common identity. They saw cultural differences as social divisions which led to frequent conflicts that produced captives who could become part of a local slave trade system.
Some ethnic groups tried to resist the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Among them were the Mossi Kingdoms who opposed the slave trade and slave raiding from Mali, Ghana, and Songhai kingdoms, but crushed down by Europeans.