President John Dramani Mahama has warned against the weaponisation of national, ethnic and cultural identity, saying a sense of belonging can become a source of division and conflict when used to exclude people perceived as different.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama reflected on his multicultural background and said his ability to speak several Ghanaian and West African languages had influenced his understanding of identity and belonging.
“I belong to all these peoples because their tongues have become my tongue,” he said.
President Mahama acknowledged that a sense of belonging gives people dignity, identity and a connection to a broader human story.
However, he cautioned that political actors can manipulate those sentiments to promote discrimination, displacement and conflict.
“When weaponised by political expediency, it transforms into nativism, chauvinism, xenophobia and the dangerous prejudices extended to those who are deemed different,” he said.
The President argued that the founding principles of the United Nations should continue to be anchored in the recognition of every person as part of one human family, regardless of race, religion, language, skin colour or nationality.
“No race is superior. No nation is inferior. No child’s life is worth less because of the language they speak, the faith they profess, the colour of their skin, or the land of their birth,” President Mahama said.
He said the principle should guide the international community’s response to refugees, migrants, victims of conflict and marginalised communities around the world.
President Mahama’s remarks formed part of his broader call for greater international cooperation and respect for human dignity in addressing global challenges.
