1. Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba: Queen Njinga ruled over the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms in what is now Angola from 1624 to 1663. She fiercely resisted Portuguese attempts to colonize her realms and engaged in diplomatic negotiations and armed conflict to protect her people from enslavement.
2. Afonso I of Kongo: Afonso I, also known as Nzinga Mbemba, was the king of the Kongo Kingdom from 1509 to 1543. He wrote letters to the Portuguese king expressing concern about the mistreatment and enslavement of his people and demanded an end to these practices.
3. Osei Tutu I of the Asante: Osei Tutu I was the founder and first Asantehene (king) of the Asante Kingdom in what is now Ghana. He established a powerful state that resisted European colonial expansion and played a significant role in ending the transatlantic slave trade in the region.
4. Mai Idris Alooma of Bornu: Mai Idris Alooma ruled the Bornu Empire in present-day northeastern Nigeria from 1571 to 1610. He took steps to combat slave raids from the neighboring state of Kanem and also restricted the internal slave trade within his empire.
5. Abushiri ibn Salim al-Harthi: Abushiri ibn Salim was a Zanzibari Swahili merchant and religious leader who played a crucial role in resisting European colonial powers and the slave trade in the East African region. He opposed the German colonization of Zanzibar and led an armed rebellion against the Europeans.
6. Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia: Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia ruled from 1855 to 1868. He was a strong opponent of European encroachment on Ethiopia's sovereignty and resisted the slave trade, particularly the practice of selling Ethiopians into slavery by neighboring countries.
7. Samori Touré of the Wassoulou Empire: Samori Touré was a military leader and founder of the Wassoulou Empire in West Africa during the late 19th century. He fiercely opposed French colonial expansion and initiated military campaigns to protect his people from being captured and sold as slaves.
These are just a few examples of African leaders who played significant roles in resisting the transatlantic slave trade and protecting their communities from the devastating impact of this brutal period in history.