President John Dramani Mahama has sent a clear message to the international community: the time for "ceremonial language" regarding Africa’s historical injustices is over.

Speaking at a high-level summit in Addis Ababa on Friday 13 February 2026, President Mahama, the AU Champion on Reparations, demanded a transition from moral aspirations to "binding frameworks" with clear timelines.

The President argued that the healing of deep historical wounds, inflicted by centuries of slavery and colonial exploitation, cannot be achieved without critical structural reforms and enhanced cooperation from all AU member states.

The high-level panel, held under the theme 'Reparations, Memory and Sovereignty: Common African Position on the Restitution of Heritage Resources', focused on the systematic return of African artefacts currently held in foreign museums.

 President Mahama insisted that these objects were "unjustly held" and that their return is central to African dignity.

President Mahama’s address coincided with the African Union marking a decade of formal demands for reparations.

He noted that while the AU has been vocal for 10 years, the actual progress on the ground remains slow. He urged the gathering to move beyond the "moral aspiration" of seeking an apology and instead push for tangible "civilisational repair."

By positioning Ghana at the forefront of the continental reparations movement, the President is seeking to bridge the gap between historical justice and modern-day economic sovereignty.

The meeting served as a precursor to the upcoming "Decade on Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations."

 This initiative is expected to result in a formal "Common African Position" that will be used to negotiate with former colonial powers and international cultural institutions.