Mahama leaves for US to spearhead reparative justice fight

President John Dramani Mahama departs Accra for the United States to lead Ghana’s push for global reparatory justice at a UN forum.

A statement issued on March 22, 2026, and signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister for Government Communications, outlined the significance of the trip and the engagements ahead.

Mahama is expected to participate in a high-level special event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where he will deliver a keynote address on reparatory justice. The event brings together global leaders to examine historical injustices stemming from the transatlantic slave trade.

According to the statement, the President will use the platform to “spearhead the call for reparatory justice and amplify Ghana’s voice in the global effort to address the enduring impact of slavery.”

It added that the gathering will focus on “justice for the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans.”

Mahama is also scheduled to address the UN General Assembly during the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The government says his message will reinforce Africa’s united stance on the issue.

“President Mahama will present Ghana’s position, aligned with the African Union, declaring the enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” the statement said, underscoring the administration’s determination to pursue justice.

As part of the visit, Mahama will lay a wreath at the African Burial Grounds Memorial in New York, honouring victims of slavery.

The itinerary also includes academic engagements, with a keynote address at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and an interaction with the Ghanaian community at Temple University.

The presidency described the visit as historic, noting that it places Ghana at the forefront of the global reparative justice movement while strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties.