Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has commended the UK government for its willingness to issue a formal apology and engage in structured dialogue over the transatlantic slave trade. He described this development as a significant step towards reparatory justice. Mahama, who is the African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, made this statement on November 1, 2026.
The UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, acknowledged the grave violations of human dignity associated with the slave trade. Mahama said this recognition offered an opportunity to advance international efforts towards healing, reconciliation, and redress. The statement by the UK Prime Minister came after the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and the racialized enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
Although the UK abstained from the vote on the UN resolution, Mahama described the UK's latest position as a watershed moment and an important contribution to the growing international consensus on reparatory justice. Ghana, with its numerous slave castles and forts, is in a unique position to champion the cause. The Cape Coast, Elmina, and Christiansborg castles are reminders of how millions of Africans were stripped of their dignity and transported across the Atlantic into slavery.
Mahama emphasized that an acknowledgement of the atrocities and a formal apology cannot reverse the injustices suffered by millions. However, they would represent a departure from historical denial and create an opportunity for genuine healing and redress. He reaffirmed Ghana's solidarity with African Union member states, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and people of African descent in the Americas.
The former President outlined five key areas that should guide the proposed discussions: a formal apology, coordinated international efforts to dismantle systemic racism and Afrophobia, targeted investments in education and healthcare, restitution of stolen cultural heritage, and strategic development partnerships. He suggested that the proposed framework should draw on the Accra Next Steps Commitments, the CARICOM Ten Point Plan, and the African Union's declarations on reparatory justice.
Mahama commended Prime Minister Burnham and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for their leadership, stressing that confronting historical injustices was an act of statesmanship rather than weakness. He called on the current generation of leaders to demonstrate the courage to confront the past honestly and pursue lasting solutions that would prevent a recurrence of such atrocities.
Ghana, Mahama assured, was ready to work with the African Union, CARICOM, the United Kingdom, and other members of the global coalition to secure lasting justice, genuine reconciliation, and a future free from racism and discrimination. The former President's statement reflects the growing momentum behind the global push for reparatory justice and a more honest reckoning with the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
Key points
- Former President John Dramani Mahama welcomes UK's openness to apology over transatlantic slave trade.
- Mahama outlines five key areas to guide discussions on reparatory justice.
- Ghana reaffirms solidarity with African Union member states and CARICOM on reparatory justice.
