President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the United Kingdom’s acknowledgement of the atrocities committed during the transatlantic slave trade and its openness to a formal apology and structured dialogue on reparatory justice.

In a statement released on Sunday, November 1, 2026, President Mahama described the development as a significant step towards confronting historical injustices and advancing the global reparatory justice agenda.

The President, who serves as the African Union (AU) Champion on Reparations and Chair of the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, commended UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham for what he described as an honest reckoning with Britain’s history of slavery and colonialism.

“I welcome, with cautious optimism and appreciation, the UK Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the horrific violation of human dignity inflicted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as well as the UK government’s openness to a formal apology and structured dialogue,” he said.

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President Mahama noted that the development was particularly significant following the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

He also called for inclusive dialogue involving the AU, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the African diaspora and countries that participated in the slave trade.

“We endorse the call for a structured, good-faith dialogue involving the African Union (AU), CARICOM, the African diaspora and the countries that were part of this system of chattel enslavement,” he stated.

According to the President, reparatory justice must go beyond an apology to include restitution of stolen cultural heritage, efforts to dismantle systemic racism and Afrophobia, and targeted investments in education, healthcare, youth empowerment and climate resilience.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with international partners to achieve lasting justice, healing and genuine reconciliation.



FKA/MA