Ghana has initiated discussions with several European countries regarding reparations related to the transatlantic slave trade, including the return of cultural objects taken during slavery and colonization, President John Dramani Mahama said on Wednesday, October 21, in London.
The Ghanaian head of state indicated at the Financial Times Africa summit that his country was engaging with Germany, France, and other partners. He specified that the approach was not limited to financial compensation and could include the restitution of cultural property as well as measures promoting the prosperity of countries in the Global South.
These discussions extend a diplomatic offensive led by Accra for several months. In June, a summit bringing together African and Caribbean representatives in the Ghanaian capital adopted a common framework concerning compensation, restitution, and debt relief.
Ghana subsequently supported in March a United Nations General Assembly resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as a major crime against humanity. The non-binding text was adopted despite opposition from the United States and abstentions from several European countries.
In September, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that the return of cultural objects constituted the first step of the campaign. France and Germany had then co-sponsored with Ghana a meeting dedicated to restorative justice on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
According to the information presented at the London summit, Germany and the Netherlands have already planned the return of more than 2,000 objects taken from Ghana during the colonial period. Items held by the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum were also sent to Ghana in the form of long-term loans in 2024.
The issue of reparations is to be reconsidered at the Commonwealth summit scheduled for November in Antigua and Barbuda.
