Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has intensified calls for reparations, urging collective efforts to secure justice for Africans and people of African descent.
Speaking at the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mahama stressed the urgent need for robust legal and institutional frameworks to address historical injustices. He underscored the long-lasting consequences of the transatlantic slave trade, colonial rule, apartheid, genocide, and neo-colonial exploitation, all of which have fueled economic disparities, social inequality, and racial discrimination.
“We must push for stronger legal and institutional mechanisms to ensure that justice for the historical trauma inflicted on global Africa moves beyond conversation to become a reality,” Mahama stated.
He highlighted the immense suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade, describing it as one of history’s gravest crimes. Over 12.5 million Africans were forcibly removed from the continent, with an estimated two million perishing during the harrowing journey across the Atlantic.
To achieve meaningful reparations, Mahama called for collaboration among European nations, regional economic communities, the African diaspora, civil society groups, academic institutions, private sector players, and international organizations. He reaffirmed Ghana’s support for the reparations movement, urging united action to create a fair and just future for all Africans.
The AU has designated 2025 as the year to address these historical wrongs, adopting the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” This initiative aligns with the AU’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Africa.
The reparations campaign aims to galvanize political commitment, build global partnerships, engage key stakeholders, raise awareness, encourage dialogue, and put an end to the silence and denial surrounding racism and colonial injustices.
SOURCE: Kwame Anum
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