President John Dramani Mahama has clarified his remarks that “no civilization deserves to be annihilated,” saying the statement was not directed at any particular person or country.
President Mahama made the clarification while speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he was asked whether the comment, which he also made during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, was a reference to US President Donald Trump.
The President said his position was based on his appreciation of history and the importance of protecting civilisations.
“I did my first degree also in history and I appreciate civilizations. I have studied from the Egyptian civilization, Chinese, all civilizations in history, Roman civilization, Greek. I even did classics in my first year in university, classical art history,” he said.
He said his studies had exposed him to the histories of major civilisations and reinforced his opposition to any proposal aimed at destroying an entire civilisation.
“So I studied Rome, I studied, Carthage and if anybody proposes a concept of annihilating a civilization, it’s unethical to me, so I’m not referring to anybody,” President Mahama stated.
He maintained that the message delivered at the UN was straightforward and should not be interpreted as a reference to a particular individual.
“But my words were simple and could be understood. No civilization deserves to be annihilated. That’s it. Period,” he said.
President Mahama made the original remark during his address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, where he spoke about the need for respect for international law, human rights and the protection of civilian life amid global conflicts.
His clarification at the Council on Foreign Relations comes after he was specifically asked whether the statement was intended as a reference to President Donald Trump.
Mahama said it was not directed at anyone and instead reflected his broader position on the preservation of civilisations.
