In an interview with YouTuber Wode Maya monitored by MyNewsGh, President John Dramani Mahama reiterated Ghana’s position as a leading voice for Africa on the global stage, emphasizing the urgent need for reparations and structural reforms in the international system.
“More than 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken against their will and transported to create wealth for powerful Western nations,” Mahama stated.
“We must demand reparations for the enslavement of our people and the colonization of our land that resulted in the theft of our natural resources as well as the looting of artifacts and cultural heritage that have yet to be returned.”
President Mahama criticized the current global system for perpetuating what he called “new colonialism,” in which African countries remain dependent on exporting raw materials while the prices and finished goods are controlled externally.
He highlighted how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while a milestone for intra-African trade, cannot reach its full potential without proper infrastructure such as railways, ports, and roads.
“The future of the world is African,” he said emphatically, noting that by 2050, one-third of all young people aged 15 to 24 will reside on the continent.
“He called for Africa to have a greater say in international institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and World Health Organization, arguing that equity and justice must be central in any new global order.
