President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the United Kingdom’s openness to a formal apology and structured dialogue on reparatory justice for the atrocities committed during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
President Mahama described the declaration by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham as a significant step towards acknowledging historical injustices and advancing international efforts to secure justice, healing and reconciliation for Africans and their descendants.
In a statement released on Sunday, November 1, 2026, the President said the UK Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the violations of human dignity associated with the Transatlantic Slave Trade was encouraging, although he remained cautiously optimistic about the development.
“I welcome, with cautious optimism and appreciation, the UK Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the horrific violation of human dignity inflicted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as well as the UK government’s openness to a formal apology and structured dialogue,” he stated.
President Mahama, who serves as the African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, commended the UK government’s position, describing it as a bold and honest recognition of the country’s historical involvement in slavery and colonialism.
He noted that the development, coming after the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the Transatlantic Slave Trade and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, represented a significant contribution to the growing international consensus on reparatory justice.
The President further observed that the UK’s position was particularly significant given its abstention during the vote on the UN resolution.
Describing Ghana’s historical connection to the slave trade, President Mahama said the country remained an important voice in the global campaign for reparatory justice because of its painful history and the numerous slave forts and castles along its coastline.
“Ghana speaks on this historic issue from a place of deep and enduring memory. We are home to the highest number of slave castles and forts in the world. Along our shores stand the silent monuments of our shared pain: the castles and dungeons of Cape Coast, Elmina, Christianborg, and many more, where millions of our people were stripped of their humanity, marched through the ‘Door of No Return,’ and shipped across the Atlantic into chattel bondage,” he stated.
He stressed that although acknowledging the atrocities and offering a formal apology could not reverse the injustices suffered by millions of Africans, such actions would represent an important departure from historical denial and create opportunities for healing and meaningful reparation.
President Mahama also reaffirmed Ghana’s solidarity with African Union member states, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Africans in the diaspora, emphasising the need for a coordinated international approach to reparatory justice.
He endorsed calls for structured, good-faith dialogue involving the African Union, CARICOM, the African diaspora and countries that participated in the system of chattel enslavement.
According to him, differences in perspectives on reparatory justice should not prevent stakeholders from pursuing their common objective of securing healing and addressing the lasting consequences of slavery.
President Mahama outlined five key areas that should form part of the proposed discussions: a formal apology; a coordinated international commitment to dismantling systemic racism and Afrophobia; targeted investments in education, science, youth empowerment, climate resilience and healthcare; restitution of stolen cultural heritage; and strategic development partnerships to address structural poverty and inequalities in the global economic and debt systems.
He said these interventions should also address the structural challenges confronting developing countries, as highlighted by the Accra Reset and the Bridgetown Initiative.
The President identified the Accra Next Steps Commitments, CARICOM Ten Point Plan and African Union declarations on reparatory justice as important frameworks to guide the proposed engagements.
He further commended UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for what he described as their moral leadership, stressing that confronting historical injustices was an act of statesmanship rather than weakness.
President Mahama maintained that Ghana was prepared to work with the African Union, CARICOM, its international partners and the United Kingdom to advance lasting justice and reconciliation.
“As we embark on this shared path, Ghana stands resolute. We have waited too long for this day; let our generation of leaders be remembered for our courage to confront the past honestly and seek the healing and repair that will put this dark chapter of human history behind us and guarantee non-repetition,” he said.
He added that Ghana remained committed to a global partnership that would promote genuine reconciliation, healing and a future free from racism and discrimination.
The statement was released by Felix Kwakye Ofosu (MP), Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Source: Newspyramid.com
