President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia has lauded President John Mahama for his instrumental leadership in passing a landmark UN resolution that officially declares the transatlantic slave trade and racialised slavery as the “gravest crime against humanity.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah gave the commendation in her address in Accra at the opening of the High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps to the landmark United Resolution A/RES/80/250 Declaring the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah reiterated Namibia’s commitment to restorative justice, noting that the country’s pursuit of justice and reconciliation regarding the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama communities between 1904 and 1908 forms part of the broader African journey towards historical recognition, accountability and redress.

She said the greatest victories against African people were often achieved when division was allowed to take root among us.

“Our responsibility is not to revisit all divisions, but to strengthen our solidarity. We need to be united. We might come from different countries and speak different languages, but our collective future depends on our ability to stand together around a common purpose,” she said.

In that spirit, Namibians, she said, extended their hands to brothers and sisters across the diaspora forever.

She noted that the Transatlantic Slave Trade separated millions of Africans from their homeland and, in many cases, from their language, culture, and ancestral identity.

Adding that, in recognition of this and their unbreakable bonds, the African Union in 2004 called for the full participation of Africans in the diaspora in the Union’s activities.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah said that, against this background, in 2004, the AU declared the diaspora the sixth region alongside North, South, East, West, and Central Africa.

She added that one would really want to see this region fully pass the fate in the work of the Union.

“For centuries, systems of slavery and colonialism sought not only to control people physically, but also to shape how they see themselves,” she said.

“The damage was not only done to bodies and men. It was also done to destroy confidence, identity, and self-belief. Many of the physical giants’ chains have long been broken, but some of the mental chains remain.”

President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the late Bob Marley captured this truth when he reminded Africans that “We must emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.”

She said: “None but ourselves can free ourselves. Therefore, this struggle before us is not only about reparations. It is about claiming our confidence as African, teaching our children the truth about their history, and rejecting the false narrative that seeks to diminish the wealth of the African people.

“Our ancestors endured an unimaginable action, yet they survived, they resisted, they preserved their humanity in a circumstance designed to strip them away.

"We owe it to them, not only to remember, but also to continue their unfinished journey towards justice. Africa is not seeking to reopen old wounds. Africa is seeking to heal wounds that will never heal.

“This struggle for reparative justice is not driven by bitterness. It is driven by the belief that genuine reconciliation can only be achieved when truth is acknowledged, dignity is sought, and history is confronted with honesty.”

President Nandi-Ndaitwah concluded her address, saying, “I once more commanded the leadership of President Mahama, the Government and the People of Ghana, and all those who contributed to the adoption of the landmark resolution.

“History has brought us to this moment. The question before us is, therefore, whether we have the courage, readiness, and unity to finish the work that previous generations began. I, on behalf of Namibia, believe we do. And believe as we are, let us do it.”