The President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed dissatisfaction with the transatlantic slave trade, describing it as the greatest crime against humanity.
Addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President recalled that millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homelands to create wealth for powerful nations.
He observed that while former slave owners received compensation for what was described as property, enslaved Africans and their descendants were denied justice for centuries.
He announced that Ghana, in its role as Africa’s champion on reparations, will table a motion before the Assembly to demand reparations for slavery, colonization, the exploitation of natural resources and the looting of cultural heritage.
He stressed the need for the full return of African artifacts taken abroad.
Turning to contemporary conflicts, President Mahama condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as a crime that cannot continue.
He reminded the Assembly that Ghana recognized the State of Palestine in 1988 and has consistently supported a two-state solution.
He explained that such an arrangement is not a reward for Hamas but a relief for innocent Palestinian women, children, and civilians enduring collective punishment.
The President also drew attention to the war in Sudan, which the UN has described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
He noted that 12 million people had been displaced and urged the international community to extend to Sudanese refugees the same level of support offered to those fleeing Ukraine.
President Mahama expressed concern about the decline in global humanitarian aid, estimating a 40 percent drop since July 2024.
He argued that Africa must take control of its natural resources, secure fairer deals with foreign investors and promote value addition on the continent.
He stressed that Africans were tired of being portrayed as poor and marginalized despite the continent’s immense wealth.
On global governance, the President pressed for urgent reform of the United Nations, describing its founding charter as outdated.
He questioned a system that allows a few powerful nations to exercise near total control while the principle of sovereign equality is enshrined in the Charter.
He recommended that veto power should not be absolute and urged that the Assembly be granted authority to challenge it.
Looking to the future, President Mahama underlined Africa’s growing role in global affairs.
He pointed out that by 2050, more than a quarter of the world’s population will be African, with one third of all young people aged 15 to 24 living on the continent.
“The future is African,” he declared to the Assembly.
By: Jacob Aggrey
