Article By: Princess Yanney
Very consistently for the past few years, the African people and their respective leaders have stood firm in defense for Reparative justice. For all, Reparations has become an urgency from historical memory to current reality for restitution. In Addis Ababa, was a powerful and most joyous announcement of AU’s consensus on Reparatory Justice.
President John Dramani Mahama celebrated the landmark achievement at the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, announcing that a Ghana-led continental resolution on the transatlantic slave trade and racialised enslavement was adopted by consensus at the summit’s press conference on Sunday, February 15th. “At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, I announced that Ghana would lead the effort to table a resolution declaring slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
That commitment marked the beginning of a structured diplomatic and legal process. I directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish a high-level committee to coordinate consultations, refine the legal framework and prepare a draft text consistent with international law and diplomatic practice.
Today I'm pleased to report significant progress. The initiative is firmly grounded in international law. Slavery is prohibited under international law as a peremptory norm, a just cogent principle from which no derogation is permitted.”, His Excellency stated.While addressing the press, one thing was obvious, the acknowledgement of the sense of sharing and oneness from the President.
To him, unity is the only way Africa can be made strong and the way forward to victory. Again, describing the outcome as a historic achievement, President Mahama said the consensus reflects Africa’s unified commitment to confronting foundational crimes against humanity that have shaped global inequality. He emphasised that the resolution is not directed at any specific nation, but is in the direction of truth, recognition and making amends.
Mahama outlined plans for intensive diplomatic engagements across multilateral platforms, to build broader global support for the initiative. The push for recognition of the historical injustices of slavery and its ongoing impacts was positioned as part of Africa’s long-term pursuit of justice and reparatory dialogue.
“Ghana has undertaken extensive consultations to strengthen the resolution. We've engaged with UNESCO, the Global Group of Experts on Reparations, the Pan-African Lawyers Union, academic institutions, the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group.
We hosted the inaugural joint meeting of the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group in Accra earlier this month to further refine the text of the resolution.”In all this, is a very important aspect of the African lineage; The diaspora. President Mahama acknowledged also the involvement of the diaspora as key player of the fight for Reparative justice. “We also began engagement with the diaspora at the Ghana Diaspora Summit held in December last year.
This has been inclusive, deliberate and consultative. Following expert consultations, the title has been refined to read, declaration and I quote, declaration of the trafficking in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
This language is precise. It recognizes the systematic trafficking of millions of Africans, the racialized and institutionalized nature of chattel enslavement, the unprecedented scale and enduring consequences of these crimes. Precision in language strengthens precision in justice”, For the first time in decades, African states have spoken with one clear and collective voice on the question of historical injustice; slavery, colonialism and their lasting economic and social consequences, under the political leadership and advocacy articulated by John Dramani Mahama and endorsed through the African Union.
This consensus is important not simply because a declaration was adopted, but because unity itself is Africa’s most powerful instrument. Before formal colonial rule, the transatlantic slave trade had already violently removed tens of millions of Africans from the continent. Entire societies were destabilised. Skilled labour, youth and future leadership were drained. Trade routes were militarised. Violence was normalised.
African development was not merely delayed it was structurally disrupted. The result is a continent that entered independence politically free, but economically dependent, financially constrained and technologically marginalised.This is why the current consensus is historically significant.During the press briefing, the media asked the Ghana’s president about the quantification of the demand for Reparations and weight of the quantity attached as compensation, if any.
His Excellency responded saying; “Indeed, the issue of reparations and restrictive justice goes beyond, just monetary compensation. It's about setting the historical record straight. It's about returning stolen artifacts from Africa. It's about the pillaging that took place in the period of the slave trade. Issues about quantum are still being researched, and I don't think that a lump sum of money is going to be taken and distributed to countries.
We'll get to that point and we'll discuss that when the time comes.”Clearly, Reparatory justice is not only about financial compensation. It includes restoring policy space, development autonomy, technological access, debt reform, cultural restitution and economic restructuring that allows African economies to finally serve African societies.For organisations like the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF) who believe in the ideals of Reparations and work actively to promote and preserve the African case, this moment represents a rare and powerful political opening.
A united Africa on reparations creates the foundation for a broader struggle for economic sovereignty, continental integration and social justice. It is a step towards repairing historical harm and preventing its modern continuation through debt dependency, unfair trade and financial exclusion. This consensus signals that Africa is no longer asking to be heard.
Africa is beginning to speak together, and that changes everything.The President ended the briefing with the importance of this consensus and the resolution ahead, after a question from the media. “We need to, as a world, accept that history and have it recorded on the biggest platform that the world has, which is the UN General Assembly, to accept that this is our description of slavery.”, he ended as he expressed his appreciation to the media and all gathered at the 39th AU Summit Press briefing.
