Key points:
- Mahama urges Africa to demand reparations for past injustices
- AU’s 2025 theme focuses on justice for Africans and the diaspora
- Leaders push for economic and social restitution for exploitation
GHANA’S President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong call for reparatory justice, urging African leaders and the global community to recognise and address the historical injustices that continue to impact Africa and its diaspora. Speaking on Saturday at the official launch of the African Union’s (AU) 2025 Theme of the Year—Justice for Africans and the People of African Descent Through Reparations— in Addis Ababa, Mahama emphasised that Africa must no longer accept a world order that fails to acknowledge its economic, cultural, and human losses.
‘For centuries, Africa has been robbed of its people, its resources, and its dignity. The time has come for the world to acknowledge the debt it owes to Africa and its descendants,’ Mahama declared.
Reparations as an economic imperative
Mahama stressed that reparations must go beyond symbolic recognition, insisting that tangible actions such as debt relief, fair trade agreements, and financial restitution are necessary.
‘Reparations are not just about the past—they are about securing Africa’s future,’ he said. ‘If we are serious about justice, then we must demand more than words. We must demand action.’
Highlighting Africa’s trillions of dollars in lost wealth, Mahama pointed to the economic structures still rooted in colonialism, which keep African nations in a cycle of debt and underdevelopment.
‘The economic system remains tilted against Africa,’ he continue
d. ‘We are forced to borrow at exorbitant rates while the very nations that built their wealth on our backs continue to dictate the rules of global finance.’
The legacy of slavery and c
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olonialism
Mahama underscored that reparations are not just about money but about acknowledging the impact of centuries of exploitation.
‘More than 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken from this continent,’ he reminded the audience. ‘Millions perished in the Middle Passage, and those who survived endured generations of enslavement, brutality, and systemic racism. Their descendants continue to suffer the consequences today.’
Beyond slavery, he pointed to colonialism, apartheid, and neocolonial exploitation, which have stripped Africa of its wealth and autonomy.
‘The scars of Africa’s past are still visible today,’ Mahama said. ‘They are in the poverty we see, in the inequalities that persist, and in the global structures that continue to marginalise Africa.’
Building on the Accra Reparations Conference
Mahama’s remarks come on the heels of the Accra Reparations Conference, held in Ghana in November 2023, where African leaders, scholars, and diaspora representatives gathered to strengthen the global reparations movement.
The AU’s 2025 reparations agenda builds on the conference’s key recommendations, which include:
- Economic restitution through fair financial policies, debt relief, and direct compensation.
- Restitution and rehabilitation for African and diaspora communities affected by historical injustices.
- Investment in Africa’s infrastructure, education, and industrialisation to foster long-term economic independence.
Mahama emphasised that reparations should also involve restoring African cultural heritage, including stolen artifacts housed in Western museums.
‘Our history, our identity, and our legacy have been scattered across foreign lands,’ he stated. ‘Reparations must also mean the return of what was taken from us—not just our wealth, but our stories, our traditions, and our heritage.’
A call for global action
The AU’s 2025 theme is not just about advocacy; it is a call to action for governments, financial institutions, and international bodies to actively support Africa’s demand for reparations.
‘This is not just Africa’s fight,’ Mahama declared. ‘This is a global fight for justice. We are calling on our partners, our allies, and all people of goodwill to stand with us.’
Mahama also challenged African nations to unite in their demands.
‘We must speak with one voice,’ he urged. ‘The days of begging for recognition are over. Now, we demand justice.’
With the official launch of the AU’s reparations agenda, Africa is sending a clear message: the time for justice is now. The fight for reparations is not just about the past—it is about securing Africa’s rightful place in the future.
