Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has referenced his 2025 visit to Osu Castle in Ghana, where he witnessed the Door of No Return, in a renewed call for institutional action to confront the enduring consequences of the transatlantic slave trade.
Khan acknowledged that London’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the racialised enslavement of Africans has not been fully recognised, stressing that remembrance must be accompanied by meaningful action to address the legacy of the trade.
He made the remarks in a message marking the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, reflecting on the history of the trade and the millions of Africans whose lives and futures were devastated by enslavement.
“Last year I visited Osu Castle in Ghana. There I saw the Door of No Return, the gate which tens of thousands of enslaved people passed through as they were forced onto ships across the Atlantic. Today is an opportunity to remember them and the millions of others whose lives were brutally stolen by the transatlantic slave trade, to acknowledge the unimaginable horrors they endured and the futures they were denied,” he stated.
A central part of his message was an acknowledgement of London’s historical involvement in the trade. Khan admitted that the capital had yet to fully recognise its central role, while insisting that acknowledgement alone was insufficient.
“For far too long we have failed to fully recognise the uncomfortable truth that London played a central role in this horrific injustice, but recognition alone is not enough,” he stated.
Historical records from London City Hall acknowledge that the capital played a key role in organising and financing the transatlantic slave trade. London merchants were heavily involved in the trade, while the city’s docks became important points in the movement of enslaved people and slave-produced commodities. West India Quay, for instance, was closely connected to the trade in goods produced through enslaved labour in the Caribbean.
Khan also announced that London will unveil a permanent memorial to victims of the transatlantic slave trade in 2027. The memorial, titled The Wake and designed by artist Khaleb Brooks, will be located at West India Quay and will take the form of a nearly seven-metre-high bronze cowrie shell. It is intended to honour the victims, recognise London’s role in the trade and provide a space for reflection and education.
The initiative is also being connected to Ghana. During Khan’s 2025 visit to Accra, London and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly announced plans for a partner memorial in Ghana, forming part of a wider international network of sites intended to remember the victims and educate future generations about the history and legacy of the trade. London City Hall estimates that about one million people were trafficked from the Gold Coast, present-day Ghana, as part of the transatlantic slave trade.
Khan further paid tribute to those who resisted enslavement and fought for justice, including abolitionists, campaigners and enslaved people who resisted oppression at great personal cost.
“We honour those whose lives were taken and whose cultures and identities were erased. We also commemorate the brave souls who fought for justice, the abolitionists, the campaigners and the many enslaved people who rose up and resisted oppression at enormous personal cost,” he stated.
He stressed that the lessons of that history should inform efforts to confront racism and inequality today, arguing that progress requires deliberate action rather than passive remembrance.
“Their stories teach us that while progress is possible, it’s far from inevitable. It only happens when ordinary people stand up and act. If we’re to build on the legacy of those who worked before us, that’s what we all must do. To confront racism, challenge injustice and build a brighter, fairer and freer world for everyone,” he added.
Khan’s call for action comes as Ghana has taken a leading role in the global campaign for reparatory justice. President John Dramani Mahama, who serves as the African Union Champion for Advancing the Cause of Justice and Payment of Reparations, convened a high-level event on reparatory justice at the United Nations in March 2026.
Ghana subsequently hosted a high-level consultative conference in Accra in June to develop practical steps following the adoption of a landmark UN resolution on the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement.
The UN resolution, adopted on March 25, 2026, declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement the gravest crime against humanity and called for dialogue on reparatory justice, including the restitution of cultural property. Ghana has positioned itself at the centre of efforts to translate that international recognition into concrete action on reparations, restitution and other forms of redress.
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