President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the UK Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the atrocities committed during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the British government’s openness to a formal apology and structured dialogue on reparatory justice.
In a statement released on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Mahama described the development as a watershed moment and a significant contribution to the growing international consensus on reparatory justice.
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Speaking in his capacity as African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, he commended the UK government’s willingness to confront its history of slavery and colonialism.
Mahama noted that Ghana is home to the world’s highest number of slave castles and forts, including Cape Coast, Elmina and Christianborg, where millions of Africans were held before being transported across the Atlantic into slavery.
He said that while acknowledgement of the atrocities and a formal apology cannot reverse the injustices suffered, they represent an important step towards healing and reparation.
The President called for structured, good-faith dialogue involving the African Union (AU), CARICOM, the African diaspora and countries that participated in the transatlantic system of enslavement.
He outlined five key areas that discussions on reparatory justice should address:
- A formal apology.
- A coordinated international commitment to dismantle systemic racism and Afrophobia.
- Targeted investments in education, science, youth empowerment, climate resilience and healthcare.
- Restitution of stolen cultural heritage.
- Strategic development partnerships to address structural poverty and inequalities in global economic and debt systems.
He further reaffirmed Ghana’s solidarity with AU member states, the CARICOM community and Africans in the Americas.
Mahama commended UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for their recognition of the importance of confronting historical injustices.
He also expressed Ghana’s readiness to work with the African Union, CARICOM, its global coalition partners and the United Kingdom towards lasting justice, reconciliation and an end to racism and discrimination.
The statement was released by Felix Kwakye Ofosu (MP), Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications.
