Ghana pushes for concrete slavery reparations

Ghana is spearheading a global push for concrete action on slavery reparations, hosting a landmark conference in Accra. The event seeks to translate growing political support, particularly following a recent UN resolution, into tangible commitments towards justice for the historical injustices of the transatlantic slave trade.

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We won the battle against slavery, we won the battle against colonialism, we won the battle against apartheid, and we are confident that we shall win the battle against reparatory injustice.

The United Nations adopted a resolution in March recognizing the slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity." Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, stated that this has propelled the campaign for reparatory justice to "unprecedented momentum." While the UN resolution is non-binding, it urges nations involved in the slave trade to engage in restorative justice. Ghanaian President John Mahama has been a key proponent of this initiative.

"We won the battle against slavery, we won the battle against colonialism, we won the battle against apartheid, and we are confident that we shall win the battle against reparatory injustice," Ablakwa declared at the conference's opening. The UN resolution garnered support from 123 member states, marking a significant international endorsement. This momentum has seen symbolic actions, such as French President Emmanuel Macron endorsing the repeal of royal decrees governing slavery in French colonies.

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The growing international support for these conversations demonstrates that reparatory justice is no longer a peripheral issue.

Ghana, once a hub for the transatlantic slave trade, now aims to be a "sanctuary for healing and reparative justice." The country has been active in connecting people in the diaspora to Africa, with over 1,000 individuals claiming Ghanaian citizenship in recent years. The three-day event features prominent speakers, including leaders from Barbados, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Namibia, and Liberia, as well as Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, underscoring the broad international and diasporic engagement on this issue.

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The adoption of the UN resolution marked the strongest endorsement yet by the international community of the case for reparations, garnering the support of 123 UN member states.