President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana will use its upcoming leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen the push for reparations for historical wrongs committed against Africa.
The President revealed this during discussions with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, where he shared Ghana’s preparations for its term as chair of the regional organisation in 2027.
He explained that the country’s ECOWAS agenda will build on areas where Ghana has already taken a leading role, including the campaign for reparatory justice, alongside issues such as gender equality and improving the welfare of children across the region.
“We have started looking at some issues that we will push on the agenda the year that we chair. We are already champions in several areas. One is reparations,” he said.
President Mahama pointed to Ghana’s involvement in advancing the reparations discussion at the international level, noting that the country, with support from the African Union, helped introduce a major motion on the matter at the United Nations General Assembly.
“With the support of the AU, we were able to move a historic motion on the floor of the General Assembly. We’ve held the follow-up conference here in Accra called ‘The Next Steps’,” he stated.
He added that Ghana is preparing another high-level meeting alongside the UN General Assembly to examine the progress of committees tasked with developing the reparations framework.
“So we are looking again on the sidelines of the UN to hold a high-level meeting to review the work the committees have started to do,” President Mahama said.
The planned initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to keep Africa’s historical experiences and demands for justice on the global agenda as the country prepares to lead ECOWAS.
