Africa’s call for reparations is no longer a whisper — Mahama

At the African Union’s 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Malabo, President John Dramani Mahama didn’t just speak—he stood tall for a continent too long silenced. As the AU Champion for Reparations, he declared that Africa’s call for justice is no longer a whisper—it is a loud, united demand, rooted in truth, dignity, and historical clarity.

Under the AU’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” President Mahama announced a major milestone: the reparations campaign will now be extended by another decade—from 2026 to 2036. And in a bold move, Ghana and Togo will co-host a high-level event at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025 to further internationalise this fight for justice.

This is long overdue. Africa has endured centuries of brutality—enslavement, colonization, exploitation. The wealth of the West was built on African backs, and that debt is not just economic—it is moral, civilizational. Reparations are not a handout; they are a rightful claim. They speak to memory, repair, and dignity.

But while we push the world to right its wrongs, we must confront ourselves with equal urgency. The truth is, no amount of compensation will fix a broken continent if we don’t fix ourselves.

We have become too comfortable with the begging bowl—waiting on loans, grants, and handouts from the very powers that plundered us. That must end. Africa must reimagine its future, not through dependency but self-determination. That means investing in our young people, in technology, in agriculture, and in intra-African trade. It means putting African interests above foreign validation or personal gain.

Many of these conversations are not new. Nkrumah said them. Sankara lived them. Today, we see glimpses of progress—like the ECOWAS passport and regional free movement—but these must be scaled, not shelved. African unity cannot remain a slogan. It must be reflected in real economic integration, shared infrastructure, and common political purpose.

There is also the battle for the African mind. Colonialism didn’t just steal our resources—it colonized our consciousness. It taught us to distrust our culture, our languages, and our ways of knowing. That psychological wound is still bleeding. True reparations must include a global apology for cultural destruction and a deliberate restoration of African pride. Our systems and traditions can coexist with global norms—we must stop apologising for who we are.

That said, as we applaud President Mahama’s continental leadership, let us ask the tough question: is he practising the same justice at home? Take Western Togoland, for instance—an area joined to Ghana under British rule, with unresolved historical grievances. If we demand justice from others, we must confront injustices in our own backyard. Justice is not selective.

Africa’s call for reparations is not just justified—it is righteous. But if it ends at the negotiation table without internal reform, it will be hollow. We cannot claim to decolonize Africa while leaving corruption, poor leadership, and division intact. We must clean our house while we petition others.

The world owes Africa justice—but Africa owes herself action. Reparations may help heal the past, but only unity, good governance, and belief in ourselves will secure the future.

Let Africa rise—not just to remember the chains, but to break every new one.