Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has emphasized the need for the dignity, rights, and well-being of Africans and their descendants to be fully restored through the reparations movement.
Speaking at the launch of the African Union’s 2025 theme during the 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, President Mahama stressed the urgent need for comprehensive reparatory justice.
The African Union has dedicated 2025 to addressing historical injustices and their lasting consequences, which have affected generations of Africans and people of African descent.
This initiative aligns with the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision for an integrated, peaceful, and prosperous continent.
The reparations movement seeks to mobilize political will, foster partnerships, engage stakeholders, raise awareness, encourage dialogue, and put an end to the culture of silence and denial surrounding racism and colonialism.
President Mahama highlighted Ghana’s role in advancing the reparations movement, recalling the 2023 Accra Reparations Conference as a milestone event.
“In November 2023, Ghana hosted the Accra Reparations Conference, a historic gathering that brought together African heads of state, scholars, and representatives of the global African diaspora to advance the reparations movement,” he said.
He emphasized that the conference reaffirmed the urgent need for comprehensive reparatory justice and set the stage for stronger advocacy and policy frameworks.
“This conference reaffirmed the urgent need for comprehensive reparatory justice and laid the foundation for stronger advocacy and policy frameworks,” he said.
President Mahama praised the conference for providing a platform for dialogue on the enduring effects of slavery and colonialism, with its outcomes serving as guiding principles for future efforts.
“It provided a platform for dialogue on the financial, cultural, and social restitution necessary to address the enduring effects of slavery and colonialism. The outcomes of this conference served as a guiding pillar for our collective efforts moving forward,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the AU’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” is a call to action for a united effort toward reparatory justice.
“The 2025 AU theme of the year is therefore a call to galvanize efforts towards reparatory justice. It is an appeal to ensure that the dignity, rights, and well-being of Africans and their descendants are fully restored,” he said.
President Mahama asserted that reparations should go beyond financial compensation, encompassing restitution, rehabilitation, and guarantees of non-repetition to address past abuses.
“Reparations involve not only financial compensation but also restitution, rehabilitation, and guarantees of non-repetition for the abuse of fellow human beings. It is also about truth-telling, historical accountability, and the restoration of agency to those who have been marginalized for centuries,” he said.
He concluded with a powerful message to dignitaries gathered at the conference, underscoring the broader significance of the reparations movement.
“Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the call for reparations, while including financial redress, extends beyond that to encompass addressing structural inequalities, ensuring educational and economic opportunities, reclaiming cultural heritage, and amplifying the voice of Africa and the diaspora communities on the global stage,” he said.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
