Reparations movement at defining moment, says Ghanaian leader

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on Monday declared that the global reparations movement has reached “a defining moment”, arguing that the international community must move beyond acknowledging the atrocities of slavery and colonialism to taking meaningful steps to address their lasting consequences.

Addressing a Special High-Level Reparations Dialogue at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters on Tuesday, Mahama said Africa and the Caribbean, bound by a shared history of enslavement and colonial exploitation, must work together to advance the cause of reparatory justice.

The dialogue, hosted by The UWI in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister, also featured UWI Vice Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles, historian and chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

“As members of an historical family, the bonds between Africa and the Caribbean are profound and enduring. They were forged through one of the darkest chapters of human history. Yet they have been sustained through extraordinary resilience, cultural creativity, and a common struggle for dignity, justice, freedom, and self-determination,” Mahama said.

‘Organised system of extraction’

He described the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as a deliberate system of exploitation that destroyed communities, separated families, disrupted cultures, and fuelled imperial wealth.

“These acts were not accidental. They were an organised system of extraction and racial domination sustained over centuries by political, legal, financial, and commercial structures,” he said.

Mahama argued that the consequences of slavery continued beyond emancipation, influencing present-day inequalities in wealth, development, opportunity, and political representation.

“The global discussions on reparations have reached a defining moment. The international community is moving beyond simple acknowledgement of historical wrongs toward structured engagement on how their enduring consequences can be addressed,” he said.

“The central question before us is no longer whether historical injustice occurred. The question now is how those injustices and their continuing effects should be addressed in a meaningful, sustainable, and forward-looking manner.”

He said reparations should not be viewed solely as a moral argument but as a practical process aimed at healing and correcting systemic injustice.

Beckles, meanwhile, argued that the scale of human loss suffered during slavery in Jamaica amounted to genocide against Africans, citing demographic evidence that he said supported the case for reparatory justice.

“If you take Jamaica, the British brought 1.5 million Africans into Jamaica. At emancipation, there were only 300,000 remaining. So Jamaica had only about 17 per cent of all the Africans who came here surviving,” he said.

“The question is: how do you reduce 1.5 million people to 300,000 after 200 years?”

Beckles said the figures formed part of the case presented by the CARICOM Reparations Commission to the British government.

“So in Jamaica, slavery was genocide. It was genocide against the African people, and that’s the point we have made to the British government. You didn’t just enslave Africans in Jamaica. You committed genocide here,” he said.

Beyond slavery

The historian argued that the case for reparatory justice extended beyond slavery itself, pointing to “the slavery, the genocide, the racism, the economic exploitation” that shaped the region’s history.

On the international response, Beckles said he was closely watching how the British government would address the issue as global attention on reparations increases.

He noted that several European countries had begun confronting their historical involvement in slavery and colonialism through apologies and discussions on making amends.

“The Dutch government has apologised and said they are ready to discuss reparations. The Germans have been trying to make amends. The French president has made a few statements, but it is hard to take those statements seriously until he addresses Haiti,” Beckles said.

“Haiti is the domestic issue, and the home drums begin there. What is required is very skilful political leadership.”

The dialogue examined the growing international movement for reparatory justice, the historical links between Africa and the Caribbean, and the role of governments, universities, and civil society in advancing the reparations agenda.

It comes amid renewed momentum on the issue, with Ghana and CARICOM intensifying diplomatic efforts to secure wider international support for reparatory justice.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com