Africa Demands Global Justice: President Mahama Declares Reparations “Moral Obligation” at Historic Book Launch
Ghana’s President H.E. John Dramani Mahama has declared that the time for African reparations has arrived, delivering a stirring call for justice at the launch of “Reparations: History, Struggle, Politics and Law” by acclaimed scholar Kwasi Pratt Junior .
Speaking to a packed audience in Accra, President Mahama, who also serves as the African Union’s Champion for Reparations, condemned centuries of systematic exploitation while demanding immediate action from the international community.
“Reparations are not charity. They are moral, legal and political obligation,” President Mahama declared emphatically, drawing thunderous applause from the audience. The President’s words carried particular weight as he spoke on behalf of the entire African continent.
Drawing sharp historical parallels, Mahama highlighted global double standards in addressing historical injustices: “The world found the resources to rebuild Europe after World War Two, to compensate Israel after the Holocaust, and to reconstruct Japan after the Hiroshima bomb. Yet the greatest crime against humanity, the enslavement of millions of Africans and the pillage of a continent, has never been fully addressed.”
President Mahama outlined a comprehensive vision for reparations that extends far beyond monetary payments: “Reparations must therefore go beyond financial compensation. They must restore historical memory. They must affirm spiritual dignity and drive systemic reforms of the global order. They must inspire curriculum changes in our schools, structural reforms in global trade and finance and a reimagining of international governance.”
The book launch coincided with a major continental milestone. President Mahama announced that the African Union has declared 2025-2035 as the “Decade of Reparations,” escalating what was initially planned as a single-year theme into a comprehensive ten-year campaign.
“The AU has rightly declared reparations as a theme of the decade… when we went to Addis, the last time the decade from 2025 to 2035 has been declared by the AU as the decade of reparations,” the President revealed.
