ACCRA, Sept 11 – Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday called for reparations to redress the legacy of slavery and colonialism, describing them as a matter of justice rather than charity, at the launch of a new book on the subject.
Mahama, who penned the foreword to “Reparations: The History, Struggle, Politics and Law” by Ghanaian journalist and Pan-Africanist Kwesi Pratt Jnr, said reparations were critical to restoring Africa’s dignity and correcting centuries of systemic exploitation.
“Reparation is not a charity; it is justice, and it must be visible,” Mahama told the gathering in Accra, organised with support from the Pan-African Progressive Front.
The book, also presented at the African Union Summit in Malabo in July, quantifies Africa’s claim at several trillions of dollars, including $2–3 trillion for unpaid slave labour, $4–6 trillion for colonial exploitation, $500 billion for debt cancellation, $50 billion for stolen artefacts, and $1 trillion for climate reparations.
Pratt said reparations went beyond financial redress. “Reparation is not simply compensation for past crimes; it is about restructuring the world, redistributing surplus value, and removing the inequality rooted in the colonial era,” he said.
First released earlier this year, the book has drawn wide attention across the continent, including praise at an experts’ forum in Johannesburg in August. Organisers said demand was strong enough to justify a fresh print run.
