Accra, 19th December; In a landmark moment for the global reparations movement, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana welcomed a special delegation of leading advocates and experts from across the African diaspora to align on a unified, intercontinental reparations agenda. The group, which comprises experts from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the United States thanked President Mahama for his political leadership in championing the cause of reparations within the African continent. They also called on the President to encourage other African leaders to choose courage over comfort by aligning with civil society and affected communities across global Africa, to demand for reparatory justice.
During the meeting, the group of experts reflected on the extensive work each organisation in the collective has been doing to advance the reparatory justice agenda in their respective geographies and spaces. They presented to the President priorities to be undertaken as part of the upcoming African Union (AU) Decade of Reparations. Key among these issues is the strengthening of collaboration and transcontinental coordination between state and non-state actors. They commended the increased role of the AU on reparatory justice and stressed the importance of strategic coherence and unity among the political leadership in Africa. The group also emphasised the importance of distinguishing the unique nature and history of the trans-Atlantic trafficking and chattel enslavement of Africans, elevating the ongoing harm of the unresolved historical crimes against humanity. They called on President Mahama to play a facilitative role in ensuring that the voices of Africans and Afrodescendants in the diaspora globally remain at the center of the reparations advocacy.
The group, which includes civil society practitioners, strategists, feminists, philanthropists, academics and affected community advocates, offered to complement the efforts of the newly constituted AU Committee of Experts on Reparations (AUCER) and other mechanisms established to pursue justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.
In response, President Mahama expressed his commitment to the shared vision for reparative justice and continental leadership.
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Earlier on Wednesday 17th December, the group met with the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as well as the Presidential Envoy on Reparations, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah. The meeting discussed ways to solidify interactions between government and civil society groups working on reparatory justice in and outside of the continent. The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed Ghana’s commitment to the reparatory justice agenda and reiterated Ghana’s continued interest in championing the cause of justice for Africans and Afrodescendants through reparations.
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The Global Group of Experts on Reparations is a collective of practitioners, political leaders, academics, advocates and philanthropists working to advance the reparatory justice agenda for Africans and People of African Descent. The individuals come from countries and geographies in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the United States. The meetings with the Foreign Minister and the President were facilitated by the African Union-ECOSOCC, Trust Africa and Reform Initiatives.
