Accra, 19 December
In a landmark moment for the global reparations movement, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana welcomed a special delegation of leading advocates and experts from across the African diaspora to align on a unified, intercontinental reparations agenda.
The delegation—comprising experts from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the United States—expressed gratitude to President Mahama for his political leadership in championing the cause of reparations within the African continent. The group also called on the President to encourage other African leaders to choose courage over comfort by aligning with civil society and affected communities across Global Africa to demand reparatory justice.
During the meeting, the experts reflected on the extensive work being undertaken by each organisation within the collective to advance the reparatory justice agenda in their respective geographies and spaces. They presented key priorities to be undertaken as part of the upcoming African Union (AU) Decade of Reparations.
Among the central issues highlighted was the need to strengthen collaboration and transcontinental coordination between state and non-state actors. The group commended the increased role of the African Union in advancing reparatory justice and stressed the importance of strategic coherence and unity among Africa’s political leadership.
The delegation also emphasised the importance of distinguishing the unique nature and history of the trans-Atlantic trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans, while elevating the ongoing harm caused by unresolved historical crimes against humanity. They called on President Mahama to play a facilitative role in ensuring that the voices of Africans and Afro-descendants across the global diaspora remain at the center of reparations advocacy.
The group—which includes civil society practitioners, strategists, feminists, philanthropists, academics, and affected community advocates—offered to complement the efforts of the newly constituted AU Committee of Experts on Reparations (AUCER), as well as other mechanisms established to pursue justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.
In response, President Mahama expressed his commitment to the shared vision for reparative justice and continental leadership.
Earlier, on Wednesday, 17 December, the delegation met with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Presidential Envoy on Reparations, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah. Discussions focused on strengthening engagement between government and civil society groups working on reparatory justice within and beyond the African continent. The Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the reparatory justice agenda and reiterated the country’s continued interest in championing justice for Africans and Afro-descendants through reparations.
ABOUT THE GROUP
The Global Group of Experts on Reparations is a collective of practitioners, political leaders, academics, advocates, and philanthropists working to advance the reparatory justice agenda for Africans and people of African descent. Members of the group come from countries and regions across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
The meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President were facilitated by African Union–ECOSOCC, TrustAfrica, and Reform Initiatives.
