President John Mahama has welcomed the adoption of a landmark resolution by the United Nations General Assembly declaring the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

In a post on Thursday, he described the decision as a historic moment in the global recognition of the injustices suffered by millions of Africans.

“I am overjoyed by the adoption… declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” he stated.

President Mahama noted that the resolution was the result of sustained global solidarity, driven by a coalition of regional and international bodies, including the African Union and CARICOM.

I am overjoyed by the adoption by the UN Gerneral Assembly of the resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

The process of its realisation, from idea to reality, was made… pic.twitter.com/zMB2J5dkUM

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) March 26, 2026

He said the collective effort of “people of good conscience around the world” was instrumental in moving the initiative from concept to reality.

Reflecting on the significance of the decision, he said the resolution offers a meaningful way to honour the memory of millions of Africans who were forcibly taken and enslaved.

“I cannot think of a better way to honour our forebears… than to have the majority of the world’s countries affirm that the trafficking and enslavement of nearly 13 million human beings is indeed the gravest crime against humanity,” he noted.

The President also invoked the words of François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, a key figure in Haiti’s liberation, to underscore the importance of unity in confronting historical injustice.

Quoting him, he said, “The greatest weapon against oppression is unity.”

President Mahama urged continued global solidarity in restoring the dignity and humanity of those who were enslaved, stressing the need for a united front in addressing the legacy of slavery.

“We must stand united in seeking the restoration of the humanity and dignity of our forebears who were enslaved and sold,” he added.

The resolution marks a significant step in international efforts to formally recognise the scale and gravity of the transatlantic slave trade and its enduring impact on people of African descent.