‘Our young people must inherit story of what Africa created, not lost’ – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has proposed three key pillars to guide the process of reparative justice following the UN resolution on restitution. He emphasized that the transatlantic slave trade constitutes the most heinous crime against humanity. Speaking at a UN General Assembly event on September 23, Mahama stressed that Africa would no longer tolerate justifications for retaining stolen artifacts and human remains.

The first pillar centers on acknowledging the progress made since the resolution. He thanked the Netherlands for cataloging 2,000 Ghanaian artifacts for return and commended Germany's engagement with Kpando traditional area, as well as France's legislative efforts and the return of Gigi Ayokwe talking drums from Cote d'Ivoire. Mahama also recognized the apologies and contributions from religious institutions, including the Catholic Church's offer of 100 million pounds for a reparatory justice fund.

However, he cautioned that such gestures alone are insufficient. Mahama called for the establishment of a permanent, institutionalized global system for restitution, urging UNESCO and the UN to create standardized legal and diplomatic mechanisms to streamline provenance research, increase transparency, and reduce legal barriers to unconditional restitution, starting with the return of human remains.

He vehemently rejected the notion that Africa lacks the capacity to receive and preserve returned artifacts, asserting that capacity constraints should not serve as a justification for retaining possession. Mahama affirmed that Africa is actively preparing to receive its heritage, emphasizing the continent's commitment to building the necessary infrastructure through the African Union's Agenda 2063 project, which includes the establishment of the Great African Museum to store and preserve these artifacts.