Ghana's Mahama calls for binding reparations frameworks as AU marks decade of demands
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has urged the international community to move beyond what he described as “ceremonial language” on Africa’s historical injustices.
Speaking at a high-level summit in Addis Ababa on Friday, 13 February 2026, President Mahama, who serves as the African Union (AU) Champion on Reparations, called for a shift from moral commitments to “binding frameworks” with clear timelines.
He said the healing of historical wounds caused by centuries of slavery and colonial exploitation requires structural reforms and stronger cooperation among AU member states. According to him, progress cannot rely solely on symbolic gestures.
The panel, held under the theme “Reparations, Memory and Sovereignty: Common African Position on the Restitution of Heritage Resources,” focused on the return of African artefacts currently held in foreign museums. President Mahama stated that these objects were “unjustly held” and stressed that their return is central to African dignity.
His address came as the AU marked 10 years of formal demands for reparations. He noted that, despite a decade of advocacy, tangible outcomes have remained limited. He urged participants to move beyond the “moral aspiration” of seeking apologies and instead pursue concrete steps toward “civilisational repair.”
President Mahama said Ghana’s role in the continental reparations agenda aims to connect historical justice with present-day economic sovereignty.
The meeting preceded the launch of the “Decade on Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” The initiative is expected to produce a formal “Common African Position” to guide negotiations with former colonial powers and international cultural institutions.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
