By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
The African Union has reached a historic crossroads in its quest for global justice. President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana will travel to New York this March to present a landmark resolution before the United Nations General Assembly. This proposal seeks a formal declaration of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime against humanity. The initiative represents the culmination of a decade-long push to transform the international legal landscape regarding historical atrocities.
The AU Champion Drives the Reparations Agenda President Mahama announced this move on Sunday, February 15, 2026, when he delivered his report to the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa. He spoke in his capacity as the African Union (AU) Champion for Advancing the Cause of Justice and the Payment of Reparations. The AU Assembly has since adopted President Mahama’s draft UN resolution, solidifying a unified African front before the world’s most significant diplomatic body ahead of the pivotal March session.
A Moral Imperative Grounded in Legal Soundness
According to the President, “all peoples of African descent have been waiting for this day. The truth cannot be buried. The legal foundations are sound; the moral imperative is undeniable.” This statement underscores the shift from purely emotional appeals to a structured legal framework. The resolution, first announced at the 80th Session of the
UN General Assembly in September 2025, crowns a year-long effort to elevate Africa’s reparatory justice agenda at the global level.
Continental Structures Facilitating International Redress
Significant progress has been made in establishing the necessary mechanisms to handle these complex claims. President Mahama reported the successful formation of the AU Coordination Team on Reparations, the AU Committee of Experts on Reparations, and a Reference Group of Legal Experts. These bodies are tasked with addressing the intertwined legacies of transatlantic enslavement, colonialism, and apartheid, moving beyond symbolic gestures to operationalize the Africa Reparations Fund.
The Strategic Shift Toward a Decade of Reparations
The President described the AU’s declaration of 2025 as the Year of Justice for Africans through Reparations as a historic turning point. He noted that “this marked a historic turning point in the life of our Union, not as a symbolic or commemorative act, but as a strategic and international commitment.” To maintain this energy, he urged member states to establish national reparations commissions and support the proposed Decade of Reparations (2026–2036). As part of this commitment, member states have agreed to designate November 30 as the African Day of Tribute to victims of the slave trade and colonization.
Asserting Rights Beyond Commemoration
President Mahama remains realistic about the challenges ahead. “Reparatory justice will not be handed to us. Like political independence, it must be asserted, pursued and secured through determination and unity,” he declared. Throughout 2025, the AU engaged with UNESCO and the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to ensure Africa’s reparations agenda influenced global discourse on cultural restitution and emerging issues, including artificial intelligence.
Reframing the Global Narrative on Justice
Major international gatherings—from Accra to Madrid, and culminating in the 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé, have, according to the President, helped “fundamentally reframe the global narrative.” This shift positions reparations as forward-looking instruments for justice and development rather than backward-looking claims. This perspective seeks to align historical justice with modern economic goals—addressing
contemporary consequences like debt burdens—to ensure regional stability and the reform of multilateral institutions.
A Defining Moment for Modern African Leadership
The upcoming March presentation is expected to mark a defining moment in Africa’s ongoing push for global recognition and redress, bolstered by strengthened partnerships with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). President Mahama called on the current generation of African leaders to be “remembered not for hesitation, but for courage in advancing justice, restoring dignity, securing restitution and shaping a future grounded in truth.” The eyes of the international community now turn toward the United Nations to see how the world responds to Africa’s unified demand.
