‘Africa’s call for reparative justice is no longer a whisper — it is a unified demand grounded in historical truth, moral clarity and our unwavering commitment to dignity. As we implement the 2025 theme of the year of “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”, we reaffirm our shared resolve to correct historical wrongs and injustices through restitution, healing and holistic systemic transformation’.
This powerful declaration was made by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama as he delivered a progress report in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital, on the 2025 theme of the African Union (AU).
Addressing AU’s seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, Mahama, who is also the African Union Champion for Reparations, said that reported that progress had been achieved by the AU Commission and member-states in implementing the theme.
He expressed particular satisfaction with the recent decision by the AU Executive Council to extend the focus on reparations for a decade, covering the period from 2026 to 2036.
‘This undoubtedly affords us, as a union, the opportunity to sustain the momentum for the realisation of this noble cause, as well as map out well-thought-out strategies to mobilise adequate resources to champion implementation of the theme domestically’, Mahama said.
Reparations must shift from public discourse to state policy. Every African government must prioritise reparations as a national project, integrating them into diplomatic agendas and legal frameworks. Collective action through the AU and other regional bodies will strengthen negotiations, ensuring unified demands.
Mahama issued a call for global partnership, saying: ‘We call upon all nations, within and beyond Africa, to partner with us in shaping a more just and equitable world for the sons and daughters of the motherland’.
The Ghanaian President noted the deep connection between reparations and African identity and dignity.
He stated: ‘Restitution to the African, therefore, is restoration of our full human dignity’, adding that the movement aims ‘to speak of history on African terms, of healing deep civilisational wounds and of restoring to African peoples our rightful agency in shaping our past, present and future’.
He underscored the necessity of reparations for African progress and unity, arguing that ‘we cannot speak of development without identity or speak of unity without acknowledging the erasure that has fractured our heritage’.
Africa’s true independence hinges on securing reparations. Only through reparations can African nations rebuild their economies to a modern, competitive level. These funds would correct centuries of exploitation, enabling sustainable development, infrastructure modernization, and investment in education and healthcare — key pillars of sovereignty.
The struggle for reparations is arduous, as none of the former colonial powers will willingly agree to pay these substantial sums. Historical injustices have been systematically ignored, and the political will to rectify them remains lacking. Overcoming this resistance requires persistent advocacy and international pressure.
Mahama stressed the importance of a unified African narrative on the global stage and encouraged robust partnerships, particularly with the Caribbean Community.
Looking ahead, the Ghanaian president announced that his country and Togo would co-sponsor a high-level event in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September, this year, to further bolster efforts at achieving the justice and closure which has eluded us for centuries’.
He further said: As we do more to correct historical wrongs, we are reasserting our full humanity. We are reaffirming our sovereignty. We are reigniting the flame of dignity that has always burned within the African soul,” assuring the Union of Ghana’s continued support for this agenda towards The Africa We Want’.
This is not a request — it is the rightful demand of African nations. We reject handouts and empty humanitarian gestures. What we insist upon is full and comprehensive restitution for centuries of theft, including:
- Financial compensation for generations of forced labor, systemic violence, and stolen resources.
- Technology transfer to bridge industrialisation gaps and empower self-sufficient economies.
- Reparations funds, managed transparently, to allocate resources for reparative justice, including education, cultural restoration, and economic empowerment.
This is not a plea — it is a rightful claim for the restitution of dignity, wealth, and opportunity denied to Africa for centuries.
