By the time Europeans got to Africa for plunder they had already experienced Roman conquest (brutal), The fall of Rome (brutal), the crusades (brutal). inquisition (brutal), and the dark ages (also brutal). Furthermore they had false theological sanctioning in the from of the very warlike and equally brutal Roman Catholic Church.

I mean they would watch dogs attack bears for sport and you saw how they did William Wallace at the end of Brave Heart. To expect the European interaction with Africa to be anything other than what it was seems foolish.