- President John Mahama Speaks at the 13th High-Level Dialogue in Accra.
- He makes a call to African leaders to ditch symbolic declarations and embrace bold moves.
- The call for reparations continue unabated.
At the opening of the African Union’s 13th High‑Level Dialogue on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights, President John Dramani Mahama delivered an address that echoed on reparative justice, institutional empowerment, and democratic renewal across Africa.
Speaking at the opening of the 13th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights in Accra on Tuesday, July 29 2025, Mahama said the continent’s efforts toward reparative justice must go beyond “symbolic declarations” and become a lived reality for African citizens.
“We must now move swiftly to personalise these instruments. We must empower these bodies with the resources, visibility, and mandate to lead us on this noble journey of truth, justice, and restitution,” Mahama stated.
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The dialogue, themed “Justice, Rights, Reparations and State Building in Africa,” brought together policymakers, AU officials, civil society groups, and legal experts. The forum coincided with growing continental calls for reparations tied to Africa’s colonial past and transatlantic slavery.
Mahama welcomed the AU’s recent move to declare 2026–2036 as the Decade of Reparations, following the adoption of 2025 as the “Year of Reparations” by the Executive Council. He called on African leaders to give real authority and funding to the new institutions, including the AU Commission of Experts on Reparations and the Reference Group of Legal Experts.
“Reparations are not isolated from justice and collective rights. They are foundational to reconciliation, democratic renewal, economic advancement, and sustainable peace,” Mahama said.
On democracy, he noted that civic space across Africa is shrinking and warned that public confidence in democratic institutions is being eroded by political exclusion, repression, and poor governance.
“Democracy cannot thrive in the presence of fear. Governments must exist for all and not just a few,” Mahama said.
Mahama subsequently stressed the importance of civic education, participatory governance, and the protection of rights-based institutions, adding that the AU must ensure that the decade of reparations is not “another declaration left on paper.”
The 13th High-Level Dialogue is part of the AU’s broader efforts to align with Agenda 2063, the continent’s strategic vision for inclusive development, peace, and human rights.