In a poignant speech, John Mahama strongly criticized the colonial abuses perpetrated by Europe and called for restorative justice for Africa.
Denunciation of colonial legacy and demand for reparations
The legacy of colonization continues to pervade economic and cultural inequalities in Africa. The demand for reparations seeks to rectify these ancestral wrongs, restore international balance, and ensure genuine justice for African nations and people of African descent.
This is why, in his address on May 25, 2025, Mahama unequivocally condemned the former European colonial powers for the harm inflicted on African peoples. Under the theme of restorative justice, he denounced colonization as a historical offense requiring tangible reparations, including formal apologies, the cancellation of unjust debts, and the restitution of looted cultural property. He recalled African solidarity in the fight against neocolonialism, highlighting African unity against oppression, plunder, and the deterioration of the terms of trade, and advocated for a restorative justice plan to address the inequalities that haunt the continent.
Call for African unity and criticism of Euro-Western hypocrisy
Africa must unite to break the interference of the Western world, which advocates democracy while perpetuating the plunder of the continent. African self-determination is essential to guaranteeing true sovereignty and a free future.
In doing so, Mahama called on African nations to unite against neocolonial rhetoric, as he later did against unfounded allegations such as the so-called “white genocide” to which the South African president, Ramaphosa was confronted by Trump in a humiliating display at the White House. Drawing inspiration from Kwame Nkrumah, he emphasized that African independence is inseparable from the continent’s complete liberation and denounced the hypocrisy of former colonial powers who, while exploiting Africa, refuse to acknowledge their historical responsibility. This speech, relayed by media outlets such as the Ghanian Times and Sputnik Africa, represents a milestone in the pan-African struggle for restorative justice in the face of the trauma inherited from centuries of European domination.
From the above, we can deduce that John Dramani Mahama’s speech, delivered on May 25, 2025, on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the African Union, takes place within a geopolitical context marked by the quest for greater cohesion in Africa, in response to the stigmata of European colonialism. Focused on the theme of “Justice for Africans through reparations”, Mahama’s speech denounces historical exploitation and persistent disparities, demanding economic, cultural, and ethical compensation. This stance reflects a rise in Pan-Africanism and a determination to counter neocolonial hegemony. From a geostrategic perspective, the African continent aspires to position itself confidently on the global stage, in the face of international tensions, particularly those opposing Western powers to Russia and China, while strengthening its independence.
In his iconic speech, Mahama outlined a vision for Africa’s future, stressing the need for reparations to heal the wounds left by European colonialism.
Mohamed Lamine KABA, Expert in Geopolitics of Governance and Regional Integration, Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pan-African University