{
  "id": 216504,
  "title": "President Mahama concludes Jamaica visit with Seville Heritage Park tour",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/president-mahama-concludes-jamaica-visit-with-seville-heritage-park",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-06T09:38:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/president-mahama-concludes-jamaica-visit-with-seville-heritage-park-tour/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Dramani Mahama concluded his four-day state visit to Jamaica with a tour of the Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann on Tuesday. The visit aimed to highlight the historical and cultural ties between Ghana and Jamaica, as well as reaffirm Ghana's commitment to strengthening relations with Caribbean nations in various sectors. At the heritage park, Mahama laid a wreath in honor of Africans who endured the transatlantic slave trade, followed by a lavish reception attended by Jamaican government officials, cultural leaders, diplomats, and members of the Ghanaian delegation. The Great House at Seville Estate, built in 1745, served as a fortified residence for Captain Richard Hemmings, who participated in the English conquest of Jamaica in 1655. The Great House, originally designed for defense, was later modified with a veranda added to improve ventilation and shade. The property was recognized as a National Monument by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust in 1999. In his speech, Mahama emphasized the shared ancestry, history, and cultural traditions of Ghana and Jamaica, calling for economic cooperation, tourism, education, investment, and people-to-people exchanges to build a prosperous future. He also urged for the establishment of a direct air link between the two nations to boost tourism, trade, business, academic collaborations, and cultural exchanges. The Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, stated that Ghana and Jamaica are one family connected by shared ancestry and history, stressing the need to deepen cooperation and translate historical ties into stronger diplomatic and economic partnerships. Meanwhile, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia \"Babsy\" Grange, expressed gratitude to Mahama and the people of Ghana for their support following Hurricane Melissa and called for greater collaboration in tourism and cultural development to drive economic growth. The President's official visit concluded with a State Dinner hosted by Jamaica's Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, and Lady Allen, marking the end of Mahama's state visit.",
  "summary": "President John Dramani Mahama last Tuesday brought his four-day state visit to Jamaica to a close with a visit to Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann, where he toured the preserved Ghanaian Village Houses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}