By Alex Ababio
At a moment when global conversations on historical injustice are intensifying—from Caribbean legal battles to renewed African Union advocacy—former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has delivered one of the most forceful calls yet for reparatory justice on the world stage.
Speaking at United Nations Headquarters in New York during a High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice, Mahama issued a stark moral indictment of the transatlantic slave trade, declaring unequivocally: “There is no such thing as a slave.”
His speech, which preceded the formal tabling of a motion on reparations expected to go to a vote, represents a renewed push by African leaders to move the issue from moral discourse to actionable global policy. It also signals growing alignment between African states and Caribbean nations that have long demanded compensation and acknowledgment from former colonial powers.
Reframing Slavery: “There Is No Such Thing as a Slave”
Mahama’s opening line was as philosophical as it was political.
“There were human beings who were trafficked and then enslaved by people who believed they could own those human beings as chattel, as their personal property.”
By rejecting the term “slave,” Mahama sought to restore the humanity stripped from millions of Africans over four centuries. According to historians and scholars in Transatlantic Slave Trade Studies, such linguistic reframing is increasingly seen as critical to dismantling the enduring psychological and structural legacy of slavery.
Mahama reinforced this point:
“Not if you acknowledge an individual’s humanity; not if you respect an individual’s basic right to dignity.”
Experts in post-colonial studies note that language has historically played a central role in justifying systems of oppression. By codifying Africans as property, European traders and colonial regimes created a moral framework that normalized exploitation.
A Motion Decades in the Making
Mahama’s address comes at a time when reparations—once dismissed as politically impractical—are gaining unprecedented traction.
The motion he tabled at the UN represents one of the most coordinated attempts to secure global recognition of reparatory justice. While details of the vote remain under diplomatic negotiation, insiders say the proposal seeks to establish a framework for compensation, historical acknowledgment, and institutional reform.
The African Union, which recently appointed Mahama as its Champion on Reparations, has been working closely with Caribbean governments and advocacy groups such as the CARICOM Reparations Commission.
This collaboration reflects a broader shift: reparations are no longer framed solely as financial compensation but as a multidimensional process involving debt relief, technology transfers, educational investments, and formal apologies.
The Scale of the Atrocity
Mahama grounded his appeal in harrowing historical detail, recounting the mechanics of the transatlantic slave trade with unflinching clarity.
“Violence begins with language; when words are used as weapons, or to codify abuse.”
He described how captured Africans were stripped naked in coastal dungeons—many located in present-day Ghana—and forced into ships under inhumane conditions.
“They were forced, with their limbs chained and shackled, onto the cargo hold of a ship… packed like sardines during the months-long journey through the Middle Passage.”
The Middle Passage remains one of the most brutal episodes in human history. Contemporary research estimates that between 12 and 12.8 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic, with mortality rates ranging from 10 to 20 percent during the voyage alone.
Mahama cited figures indicating that 10 to 15 percent of enslaved people died during the journey, aligning with widely accepted academic estimates.
He added:
“Whenever a ship did arrive at its destination, the enslaved people… were inspected and appraised like livestock.”
Mapping the Human Exodus
Mahama provided a geographical breakdown of the slave trade’s reach, emphasizing its global scale:
Approximately six million Africans were trafficked to Brazil
Nearly two million were taken to Jamaica
About 500,000 were sent to the United States
Over 450,000 were transported to Barbados
These figures, while broadly consistent with historical databases such as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, highlight how African labor underpinned the economic rise of entire regions.
Brazil, today represented by Brazil, received the largest share of enslaved Africans, shaping its demographics and cultural identity. Similarly, plantation economies in Jamaica and Barbados generated immense wealth for European empires.
Mahama contrasted this with the experience of white indentured servants:
“They were eventually granted freedom and also difficult to recapture when they ran away, as they could blend with the larger white population.”
Resistance, Death, and Defiance
Beyond statistics, Mahama emphasized the human resistance embedded in the slave experience.
Some captives, he noted, chose death over bondage:
“Some… chose to end it all by jumping overboard to face certain death.”
Historical records confirm such acts of resistance were not uncommon. Revolts aboard slave ships and suicides during the Middle Passage were documented across multiple voyages.
Others perished when ships sank—often with chained captives unable to escape—further underscoring the brutality of the system.
“Slavery Was Always Wrong”
One of the most contentious aspects of modern reparations debates is whether historical actions should be judged by contemporary moral standards. Mahama rejected this argument outright:
“Just because everybody is doing something doesn’t make it right. Slavery is wrong now, and it was wrong then.”
He pointed to the existence of abolitionists across centuries as proof that moral opposition to slavery was never absent.
Indeed, movements led by figures such as Olaudah Equiano and William Wilberforce challenged the system long before its eventual abolition in the 19th century.
The Modern Reparations Landscape
Mahama’s intervention comes amid growing global momentum for reparations:
Caribbean nations have formally demanded reparations from European governments
Several U.S. cities and states have launched local reparations programs
The African Union has elevated reparations to a continental priority
Legal scholars argue that reparations claims are increasingly grounded in international human rights law, including principles established by the International Court of Justice.
However, resistance remains strong among former colonial powers, many of whom argue that contemporary governments cannot be held liable for historical actions.
The Politics of a UN Vote
The anticipated vote on Mahama’s motion represents a critical test of global political will.
Diplomatic sources suggest that while many African and Caribbean nations are likely to support the resolution, divisions persist among Western countries. Some fear that endorsing reparations could open the door to massive financial liabilities.
Yet advocates argue that the cost of inaction—continued inequality rooted in historical injustice—is far greater.
Mahama framed the vote as a moral imperative:
“I hope all of you will vote tomorrow to speak truth to power… and finally acknowledge the full horror of these transgressions against the humanity of the 18 million human beings who were enslaved.”
Beyond Compensation: What Reparations Could Look Like
Experts caution that reparations are not solely about financial payouts. Instead, they may include:
Formal apologies and historical acknowledgment
Educational reforms and curriculum changes
Investment in affected communities
Debt cancellation for African nations
Cultural restitution, including the return of looted artifacts
Institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have increasingly been drawn into discussions about economic justice, though neither has formally endorsed reparations frameworks tied to slavery.
Ghana’s Role in the Global Conversation
As a key departure point during the slave trade, Ghana occupies a unique position in the reparations debate. Sites such as Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle stand as enduring symbols of the atrocities Mahama described.
In recent years, Ghana has also positioned itself as a hub for diaspora engagement through initiatives like the “Year of Return,” inviting descendants of enslaved Africans to reconnect with their heritage.
Mahama’s leadership on reparations builds on this legacy, placing Ghana at the forefront of a global movement seeking justice for historical wrongs.
A Defining Moment
Whether the UN vote ultimately passes or stalls, Mahama’s address has already reshaped the conversation.
By combining historical evidence, moral clarity, and political urgency, he has challenged the international community to confront a question long deferred: What does justice look like for crimes that reshaped the world?
For millions across Africa and the diaspora, the answer may define not just the past—but the future.
As Mahama concluded:
“We must always start by reclaiming… the dignity of Africans, the humanity of our ancestors… and, as a matter of course, our own humanity.”