Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, has called on AU member states and African leaders to empower the bodies mandated to lead the charge for reparative justice to deliver as a matter of urgency.
He said the AU Executive Council’s approval of terms of reference for the AU Commission of Experts on Reparations and the AU Reference Group of Legal Experts on Reparations was a commendable milestone that must be backed with resources.
“We must now move swiftly to personalise these instruments. We must empower these bodies with the resources, visibility, and mandate to lead us on this noble journey of truth, justice, and restitution. Let this not be another declaration left on paper; let it be a living mandate for action,” President Mahama said as he opened the 13th AU High-Level Delegation Dialogue on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights in Accra on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
The President’s remarks come in the wake of recent pressure from leaders of the continent to force the hand of the former colonial powers to appropriately compensate African States who endured the negative impact of colonisation, slave trade and other dehumanising experiences in the hands of Western colonisers.
He had earlier in February this year at the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, made a call to Western colonial powers to compensate Africa and its people for the unfortunate experience of colonisation.
On Tuesday, the President Mahama underscored the need for African leaders to practice a democracy that is not only institutional but also relational and rooted in the experiences and expectations of their people.
He said democracy could not thrive in the presence of fear or repression, insisting that the legitimacy of governments depended on the inclusion of all.
As part of state building, the President said political education should be prioritised as a pillar of state building.
Prior to that, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said in his initial remarks that the theme for the dialogue: “Justice, Rights, Reparations, and State Building” “emphasises that sustainable development and lasting peace must be rooted in fairness, inclusivity, and the recognition or redress of historical injustices”.
“As we contemplate the legacies of enslavement, colonialism, apartheid, and systemic exclusion, let us seize this opportunity to collaborate and envision and actively pursue a future where restorative justice moves beyond rhetorical discourse and manifest as a tangible reality for all,” he said.
Ghana, he said, remained a dedicated and active member of the AU, firmly upholding its advocacy for the principles of reparations and state building based on equity.
On the final day of the forum, a Member of the Coordinating Committee of the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF), Kwesi Pratt Jnr, who recently unveiled his book on reparations, said no amount of money can compensate for the atrocities committed during the colonial era.
Answering questions during a plenary session, the famous Pan-Africanist said the historic injustices inflicted upon Africa through colonisation and slavery cannot be compensated for with money alone and therefore called for a broader and more transformative understanding of reparations, one that demands the total restructuring of global power relations rather than mere financial payouts.
The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including former Heads of State, former Prime Ministers and Vice-Presidents, AU leaders, Ministers of State, Members of the African Heads of Missions and delegations from other countries, among others.
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