President John Dramani Mahama says a formal apology from the United Kingdom over the transatlantic slave trade must be backed by concrete action.
He has listed five demands Ghana wants on the table in any reparatory justice talks involving the UK, the African Union (AU), CARICOM and the African diaspora.
They are: an official apology for the slave trade, return of looted cultural artefacts, targeted investment in education, health and youth development, measures to end systemic racism and Afrophobia, and development partnerships to tackle structural poverty and unfair global economic and debt systems.
President Mahama said the talks must move beyond admitting past wrongs to delivering real solutions to the lingering impact of slavery and colonialism.
His comments come after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated he is open to a formal apology on behalf of the British state and to structured engagement with affected communities, but has ruled out financial compensation.
In a statement on Sunday, November 1, President Mahama welcomed Mr Burnham’s recognition of the abuses linked to the slave trade and the UK’s willingness to consider an apology.
“As African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, I commend the statement for its bold, reflective, conciliatory, and honest reckoning with the UK’s legacy of slavery and colonialism,” he stated.
He said Ghana wants the proposed dialogue to focus on the five priority areas, including dismantling institutional racism, investing in education, science, youth empowerment, climate resilience and healthcare, restituting cultural heritage, and building partnerships that reform inequitable global financial arrangements as captured in the Accra Reset and the Bridgetown Initiative.
He described the UK’s stance as a major step in the global push for reparatory justice, especially after the UN adopted a Ghana-led resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and racial enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
He noted the significance of the move, given that Britain abstained during the vote.
President Mahama, however, stressed that apology alone cannot fix the harm done.
“While an acknowledgement of the atrocities and a formal apology for the grave mistreatment of the millions affected cannot undo the profound injustices of the past, they signal a crucial departure from past denial and open the path toward genuine healing and repair,” he said.
He called for honest and structured talks involving the AU, CARICOM, the diaspora and nations that took part in the slave trade, saying differences in position should not block progress.
“We recognise, as our partners do, that our perspectives on reparatory justice may not be identical. There are clearly areas of strong disagreement, but such differences must not deter us from the shared objective,” he noted.
He said the Accra Next Steps Commitments, CARICOM’s Ten-Point Plan and AU declarations should guide the engagement.
President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to work with the AU, CARICOM, the diaspora and the UK to secure justice, reconciliation and an end to racial discrimination.
“Ghana is ready to walk this road in full partnership with the African Union, CARICOM, members of our global coalition, and the United Kingdom to achieve lasting justice, genuine reconciliation, true healing and the creation of a new world without racism and discrimination,” he added.
