Which of the following statements is NOT accurate?

Select the best answer from the choices provided.
A. European demand for enslaved labor worsened political turmoil in Central and West Africa.
B. In the 15th century, the Pope encouraged enslaving people who were not Christian.
C. The slave trade in Africa did not exist before European merchants came to the continent.
D. Europeans established trading posts in Africa, which led to their involvement in the slave trade.