President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening peace and security across Africa, while backing efforts to mobilise a $1 billion African Union Peace Fund to help secure the continent’s future.
President Mahama made the remarks in connection with his participation in the 21st Extraordinary Summit of the African Union in Luanda, where he also briefed fellow African leaders on Ghana’s ongoing campaign for reparatory justice.
As the African Union Champion for Reparations, President Mahama said there was growing global momentum behind Africa’s quest for justice and restitution for the historical injustices suffered by Africans and people of African descent.
He said the campaign had gained significant international attention following the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/82/50, which he described as a historic development achieved through collaboration among the African Union, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Diaspora.
According to President Mahama, the resolution has provided a renewed platform for discussions on the consequences of the transatlantic enslavement of Africans and the need for reparatory justice.
“Following the historic UN General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/82/50), achieved by a coalition of the AU, CARICOM, and the African Diaspora, which declared the enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity, Ghana asked the vital question: What next?” he said.
He noted that Ghana subsequently hosted the Next Steps Conference in Accra in June, where stakeholders broadened the reparations agenda to include indentured labour as another historical injustice requiring attention.
The conference also resulted in the establishment of several specialised bodies, including a High-Level Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, a Global Experts Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Heritage and a Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice.
President Mahama said the issue of reparations, which was once largely regarded as a taboo subject, was now influencing international diplomacy and conversations around justice, restitution and historical accountability.
He cited the return of looted African artefacts, legislative changes such as the repeal of France’s Code Noir and historic acknowledgements and commitments by international institutions as signs of the changing global position on the issue.
“As a follow-up, Ghana will host a high-level side event during the 81st UN General Assembly Session this September to receive progress reports from our established panels,” President Mahama said.
He added that he had invited African Heads of State to participate in the event as Ghana continues to lead efforts aimed at advancing justice, restitution and dignity for Africa and people of African descent worldwide.
The President’s engagements form part of Ghana’s broader diplomatic efforts to position the country and the African Union at the centre of global discussions on historical injustices, peace, development and the continent’s future.
Ghana’s advocacy, he said, would continue to seek practical steps that move the reparations conversation beyond acknowledgement towards concrete measures capable of addressing the enduring consequences of historical injustices.
