President John Dramani Mahama will depart Accra on Monday for an official visit to the United States, where he will spearhead Ghana’s delegation at a high-level session on reparatory justice at the United Nations.
The visit, which includes stops in New York and Pennsylvania, is centred on addressing historical injustices associated with the transatlantic slave trade and honouring its victims.
At the UN Headquarters on Tuesday, President Mahama is expected to convene and deliver the keynote address at a High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice. The event, themed “Reparatory Justice for the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans,” will bring together global leaders and dignitaries to explore pathways toward justice.
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According to Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the gathering represents “a critical opportunity for the global community to confront and address one of the gravest injustices in human history.”
On Wednesday, President Mahama will address the United Nations General Assembly as part of commemorations for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. He is expected to articulate Ghana’s position, endorsed by the African Union, calling for the formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade and racialised chattel enslavement as “the gravest crime against humanity.”
As part of his itinerary, the President will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the African Burial Ground National Monument on Tuesday, honouring enslaved Africans whose remains were uncovered at the historic site. The ceremony is expected to reinforce Ghana’s commitment to remembrance and justice for descendants of enslaved people.
Beyond his UN engagements, President Mahama will visit Lincoln University, where he will deliver a keynote address, and later engage with the Ghanaian community at Temple University.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu noted that the visit will “strengthen ties with the African diaspora while reinforcing Ghana’s leadership role in the global reparatory justice conversation.”
