Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has declared that reparations for Africa are an urgent necessity to restore justice and dignity to the continent after centuries of slavery and colonial exploitation.
Speaking at the launch of ‘Reparations. The History, Struggle, Politics and Law’, a new book authored by veteran journalist and Pan-Africanist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, President Mahama said reparations must go beyond rhetoric.
“Reparation is not a charity; it is justice, and it must be visible,” the President stated, adding that the book sets out facts, figures, and practical pathways to pursue reparations that could help reorganise global systems in favour of Africa.
The book, which was earlier presented at the African Union Summit in Malabo in July 2025, estimates Africa’s entitlement in trillions of dollars: between $2–3 trillion for the unpaid labour of slaves, $4–6 trillion for colonial exploitation, $500 billion for debt cancellation, $50 billion for stolen artefacts, and $1 trillion for climate reparations.
Author Kwesi Pratt Jnr, in his remarks, stressed that reparations are not merely about compensating past injustices but about reshaping global structures. “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.
The launch, organised with support from the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF), drew a wide audience, including academics, civil society leaders, and youth activists. The book has already garnered critical acclaim, with strong reviews at an experts’ forum in Johannesburg in August 2025, and rising demand has prompted a second print run.
