Complex sentence: Previously, the only connection was through Trans-Saharan trade, of which the Mali Empire, consisting predominantly of African and Berber tribes, stands as a strong proof of the early Islamization of the Sub-Saharan region.
Split into simpler sentences: Previously, the only connection was through Trans-Saharan trade. The Mali Empire, consisting predominantly of African and Berber tribes, stands as a strong example of the early Islamic conversion of the Sub-Saharan region.