President John Dramani Mahama has outlined five key areas he believes should form the basis of international discussions on reparatory justice for the atrocities committed during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The proposals include a formal apology, coordinated international action against systemic racism and Afrophobia, targeted investments in critical sectors, restitution of stolen cultural heritage and strategic development partnerships.
President Mahama made the proposals in a statement responding to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s declaration acknowledging the horrific violations of human dignity associated with the transatlantic enslavement of Africans.
According to the President, meaningful discussions on reparatory justice must go beyond acknowledging historical atrocities to include practical measures capable of addressing their enduring consequences.
He called for a formal apology as an important first step towards confronting the historical injustices suffered by millions of Africans.
He also advocated a coordinated international commitment to dismantling systemic racism and Afrophobia, alongside targeted investments in education, science, youth empowerment, climate resilience and healthcare.
On cultural restitution, President Mahama stressed the need for efforts to return stolen cultural heritage, describing it as an important component of the broader reparatory justice agenda.
He further called for strategic development partnerships to address structural poverty and reform what he described as inequitable global economic and debt arrangements that continue to constrain developing countries.
The President cited the Accra Reset and the Bridgetown Initiative as important frameworks for addressing some of the structural challenges confronting developing nations.
He also referenced the Accra Next Steps Commitments, the CAROM Ten Point Plan and the African Union’s declarations on reparatory justice as providing a clear and principled foundation for international discussions.
President Mahama expressed optimism that good-faith dialogue and the right political will could help Ghana and its international partners achieve a common objective of healing and repair.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with the African Union, CAROM, the African diaspora, the United Kingdom and other members of the global coalition to advance the reparatory justice agenda.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️) Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭