President John Dramani Mahama has led a solemn wreath-laying ceremony in honour of enslaved Africans at the African Burial Ground National Monument in Lower Manhattan, New York, as Africa intensifies its global push for reparatory justice.
The ceremony brought together diplomats, civil rights activists, U.S. officials, and members of the African diaspora, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, U.S. civil rights leader Al Sharpton, Dr. Niel Nadesan Parsan, and Amira Elfadil Mohammed. The gathering served as a moment of reflection on the enduring legacy of slavery, while reinforcing calls for justice and restitution for affected communities.
“We lay down this wreath in remembrance of all the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade—the men, women, and children who were taken from their lives and from those who loved them to be enslaved in a foreign land; and also, the people to whom they belonged… whose lives were forever altered,” President Mahama stated.
The President highlighted Ghana’s historical connection to the transatlantic slave trade, noting the presence of numerous slave castles and forts along its coast. He emphasized that many enslaved Africans who passed through these structures were forcibly transported across the Atlantic, underscoring Ghana’s central place in the history being remembered.
The wreath-laying ceremony marked the beginning of President Mahama’s official visit to the United States, where he is undertaking a series of engagements focused on reparatory justice. As part of the visit, he addressed a high-level side event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, bringing together civil rights advocates, legal experts, and diaspora representatives from Africa and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
He is expected to table a draft resolution before the United Nations General Assembly seeking to formally declare the Transatlantic Slave Trade the gravest crime against humanity, a move that forms part of a broader continental and global effort to secure recognition and redress.
However, a planned visit to Lincoln University, where he was to be conferred with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his leadership on global development and reparatory justice, has been cancelled, with the university citing unforeseen circumstances.
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