Mahama welcomes UK’s openness to apology over transatlantic slave trade

President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the United Kingdom government's openness to issuing a formal apology and engaging in structured dialogue over the transatlantic slave trade, describing the development as a significant step towards reparatory justice.

He said the acknowledgement by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham of the grave violations of human dignity associated with the slave trade offered an opportunity to advance international efforts towards healing, reconciliation and redress.

In a statement released on Sunday, November 1, President Mahama, who is the African Union Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, commended the UK Prime Minister for what he described as a bold and honest recognition of Britain's historical legacy of slavery and colonialism.

He said the declaration was particularly significant following the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and the racialised enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, despite the UK's decision to abstain from the vote.

President Mahama described the UK's latest position as a watershed moment and an important contribution to the growing international consensus on reparatory justice.

He said Ghana's historical connection to the slave trade, reflected in its numerous slave castles and forts, placed the country in a unique position to champion the cause.

Referencing the Cape Coast, Elmina and Christiansborg castles, he recalled how millions of Africans were stripped of their dignity, marched through the 'Door of No Return' and transported across the Atlantic into slavery.

Although an acknowledgement of the atrocities and a formal apology cannot reverse the injustices suffered by millions, President Mahama said they would represent a departure from historical denial and create an opportunity for genuine healing and redress.

He reaffirmed Ghana's solidarity with African Union member states, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and people of African descent in the Americas, while endorsing structured, good-faith dialogue involving these groups and countries that participated in the slave trade.

The President acknowledged that stakeholders might hold differing positions on aspects of reparatory justice but insisted that such disagreements should not undermine their shared objective.

He outlined five key areas that should guide the proposed discussions: a formal apology; coordinated international efforts to dismantle systemic racism and Afrophobia; targeted investments in education, science, youth empowerment, climate resilience and healthcare; restitution of stolen cultural heritage; and strategic development partnerships to address structural poverty and inequalities in the global economic and debt systems.

He said the proposed framework should draw on the Accra Next Steps Commitments, the CARICOM Ten Point Plan and the African Union's declarations on reparatory justice.

President Mahama also commended Prime Minister Burnham and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for their leadership, stressing that confronting historical injustices was an act of statesmanship rather than weakness.

He called on the current generation of leaders to demonstrate the courage to confront the past honestly and pursue lasting solutions that would prevent a recurrence of such atrocities.

Ghana, he assured, was ready to work with the African Union, CARICOM, the United Kingdom and other members of the global coalition to secure lasting justice, genuine reconciliation and a future free from racism and discrimination.