How did the west African slaves treaters usually obtain the slaves they sold to Europeans?

West African slave traders typically obtained slaves through a combination of warfare, raids, and the capture of individuals from rival ethnic groups. They would often engage in conflicts to seize people or conduct raids on communities, and some traders also purchased enslaved individuals from local leaders. Additionally, individuals who were in debt or had committed crimes could be sold into slavery as a means of settling obligations or punishment. The captured or acquired individuals were then sold to European traders at coastal trading posts.