By Rachel Quartey and Rukayatu Musah
Accra, Ghana — Ghana is taking decisive steps to advance reparatory justice and strengthen ties with its diaspora, following the 2024 Diaspora Summit held in Accra. It brought together African leaders, diaspora representatives, civil society, and legal experts from across the continent and beyond.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang described the summit as a “decisive shift toward concrete partnerships between Ghana and Africans in the diaspora,” emphasizing the shared histories and intertwined futures of the continent and its global family.
“Collective responsibility is essential for justice, healing, and development,” she said. “Recognizing the diaspora as Ghana’s 17th region is a bold step to strengthen unity, attract investment, and tap into global African expertise.”
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also praised President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership on reparations, stating that it positions Ghana as a moral and political leader in the global push to address historical injustices.
“The Diaspora Summit comes at a defining moment as Ghana places history, justice, and responsibility at the heart of its engagement, with President Mahama’s AU reparations role reflecting a firm commitment to advancing the dignity and material claims of Africans worldwide.”
She commended summit participants and organizers, expressing confidence that the collaborations formed would deliver lasting benefits for Ghana and the wider Pan-African world.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa highlighted that Ghana’s push for reparations is grounded in morality, justice, and international responsibility. “This is not about confrontation,” he said. “Reparations should be seen as a process of healing and reconciliation, including debt cancellation, return of stolen cultural artefacts, institutional reforms, and economic empowerment.”
Mr. Ablakwa further stressed that restitution is a moral and even religious obligation, adding that justice and fairness are central values shared across cultures and faiths. “If nations can demand debt repayments and impose sanctions, Africa equally has the right to seek reparatory justice for centuries of exploitation,” he said.
Summit participants also issued key recommendations to advance Africa-diaspora collaboration and reparatory justice:
Establish transparent mechanisms to manage reparations.
Ensure reparations go beyond money, including debt cancellation, return of artefacts, institutional reform, and economic empowerment.
Mobilize Africa’s intellectual capital and civil society.
Create structured dialogue between governments and the diaspora.
Accelerate diaspora investment and foreign direct investment.
Promote unity and coordinated global action among African states and people of African descent.
The summit underscored Ghana’s leadership in driving reparatory justice while fostering Pan-African solidarity, signaling a clear move from dialogue to action.
