President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the United Kingdom’s renewed openness to addressing the historical injustices of the transatlantic slave trade, describing recent remarks by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham as a significant step towards reparatory justice and historical reconciliation.
In a statement issued by the Presidency Communications on Sunday, President Mahama said he received with “cautious optimism and appreciation” the British Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the severe human rights violations inflicted during the transatlantic slave trade and the UK’s willingness to engage in discussions on a formal apology and reparatory measures.
President Mahama, who serves as the African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, commended the UK leader’s remarks as a bold and honest reckoning with Britain’s colonial and slave-trade legacy.
According to him, the statement marks a watershed moment in the growing international consensus on reparatory justice, particularly following the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution that declared the transatlantic slave trade and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as crimes against humanity.
The President noted that Ghana speaks on the issue from a position of deep historical experience, pointing to the country’s numerous slave castles and forts, including those at Cape Coast, Elmina and Christiansborg, which served as departure points for millions of enslaved Africans transported across the Atlantic.
While acknowledging that an apology alone cannot erase the suffering and profound injustices of the past, President Mahama stressed that such recognition represents an important departure from denial and creates opportunities for healing, reconciliation and meaningful repair.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s solidarity with African Union member states, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and African diaspora communities in the Americas in pursuing justice for descendants of enslaved Africans.
The President further endorsed proposals for a structured dialogue involving the African Union, CARICOM, the African diaspora and countries that participated in the transatlantic slave trade. He stressed that differences in perspectives on reparations should not derail efforts toward achieving a common objective.
President Mahama outlined several priority areas for discussion, including a formal apology, coordinated international action against systemic racism and Afrophobia, investments in education, science, healthcare, youth empowerment and climate resilience, restitution of stolen cultural heritage, and strategic development partnerships to address structural poverty and inequities in the global economic system.
He said frameworks such as the Accra Next Steps Commitments, the CARICOM Ten-Point Plan and the African Union’s declarations on reparatory justice provide a clear basis for advancing the dialogue.
The President also praised Prime Minister Burnham and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for what he described as moral leadership in confronting historical truths, arguing that recognising past wrongs is an act of statesmanship rather than weakness.
“As we embark on this shared path, Ghana stands resolute,” President Mahama stated, adding that the current generation of leaders must be remembered for confronting the past honestly and pursuing genuine healing and repair.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to work closely with the African Union, CARICOM, members of the global reparations movement and the United Kingdom to achieve lasting justice, reconciliation and a future free from racism and discrimination.
The statement was signed by Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.