“Ghana Holds No Grudge”: Ablakwa Assures Countries That Opposed Reparations
- Ghana's Foreign Minister affirmed diplomatic ties despite differing votes on the UN slavery reparations resolution
- Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also commended some countries for indicating that their governments will soon return artefacts currently in their possession
- Ghanaians on social media who saw the Foreign Affairs Minister's post thronged the comment section to share their thoughts
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, assured countries that voted against or abstained from the United Nations resolution on slavery reparations that Ghana bears no grudge against them.
Source: Facebook
The Minister insisted that Ghana is committed to maintaining cordial diplomatic relations.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, May 3, 2026, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said he held a briefing with members of the diplomatic corps in Ghana following the historic adoption of the resolution at the UN General Assembly.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the meeting was to express President John Mahama and the people of Ghana's appreciation for the overwhelming international support that secured the passage of the resolution declaring transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.
"I held a briefing of the diplomatic corps in Ghana. The objective was to express the appreciation of President John Mahama and all Ghanaians, including my humble self, for their country’s support during the historic UN adoption of the resolution declaring transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity."
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that even though a few countries voted against or abstained, Ghana does not intend to let its decision undermine existing diplomatic ties.
He further extended an invitation on behalf of President Mahama for all nations to join what he described as an expanding global coalition for reparatory justice as efforts intensify to address the enduring consequences of enslavement.
Ablakwa also commended the Netherlands and Germany for indicating that their governments will soon return artefacts currently in their possession.
Ghana wins vote for UN resolution on slave trade
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Ghana secured majority support for its resolution to declare the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, with 123 nations voting in favour.
According to the results, three nations voted against the historic resolution while 52 abstained.
The three dissenting nations were the United States of America, Argentina, and Israel, while EU nations also dominated the abstentions.
The resolution, which called on the UN to formally recognise the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime ever committed against humanity, was adopted.
It urged UN member states to engage in structured dialogue and concrete actions aimed at acknowledging and addressing the enduring social, economic, and cultural impacts of slavery.
Countries like the UK have long rejected paying reparations, arguing that nations and institutions of today cannot be held responsible for past wrongs.
Source: Getty Images
Mahama criticises Trump over black history
YEN.com.gh reported that Mahama had criticised the Trump administration for its handling of black history and accused it of normalising the erasure of the past.
The Ghanaian president said certain policies by the United States of America are becoming a template for other governments, as well as some private institutions.
Mahama stated that black history courses were being removed from school curricula and institutions were being mandated to stop teaching the truth of slavery.
Source: YEN.com.gh
