The Government of Ghana has welcomed a landmark decision by France to partner on reparatory justice for the transatlantic enslavement of Africans.
The historic development follows a recent Ghana-led United Nations resolution and was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron during an event marking the 25th anniversary of France’s law declaring slavery a crime against humanity.
President John Mahama highly commended the French leader for his open and conciliatory approach, which paves the way for a new era of diplomatic cooperation on historic redress.
Central to this new partnership is the establishment of a Ghana-France Scientific Commission, which will be based in Ghana to guide institutional and scholarly collaboration. In addition to this commission, France has indicated its intention to repeal its colonial-era slavery statutes, famously known as the Code Noir.
The Ghanaian government praised this move, acknowledging that President Macron’s recognition of these outdated laws as incompatible with modern values provides a vital foundation for an honest reckoning with history.
The diplomatic breakthrough coincides with accelerating global momentum on reparations, driven heavily by a United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted on 25th March 2026.
Championed by President Mahama in his capacity as the African Union Champion on Reparatory Justice, the resolution secured 123 votes in favour, formally defining the transatlantic enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Ghanaian authorities view the recent commitments from Paris as a direct and welcome contribution to the international conversation opened by that landmark UN vote.
To maintain this momentum, Ghana is preparing to host the Next Steps Summit on Reparations in Accra from 17th to 19th June 2026.
The high-level conference will bring together heads of state, ministers, scholars, and civil society groups from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean.
President Mahama expressed his gratitude to President Macron, who has accepted an invitation to address the summit.
A high-level French delegation has also confirmed its participation in the June event to help develop frameworks for state-to-state engagement.
State officials confirmed that Ghana and its international partners are prepared to engage broadly with France on comprehensive reparatory measures.
These discussions will encompass formal apologies, guarantees of non-repetition, the return of historical artefacts, and financial compensation. Reaffirming its commitment to the cause, the government stated that Ghana stands ready to engage both bilaterally and multilaterally with any international partner prepared to undertake this profound work in good faith, urging other nations with comparable histories to join the global effort.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana