Juneteenth Commemorated in Ghana for the First Time With Emotional Reenactment of Slave Trade

• President John Mahama was joined by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados to commemorate Juneteenth for the first time outside the US
• The event, which was held on June 19, 2026, included a reenactment of the slave trade at the historic Osu Castle in Accra
• In his speech, President Mahama extended a warm invite to the diaspora to contribute to building a better future for Ghana

President John Dramani Mahama hosted the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, at the Osu Castle to commemorate Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19. The day is set aside to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans across the United States.

Its name is a blend of "June" and "nineteenth," marking the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the freedom of enslaved people—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

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Juneteenth commemorated outside US for the first time

For the first time in history, Juneteenth was commemorated outside the United States. Ghana hosted this landmark event under the leadership of President John Mahama.

The commemoration was done at the Osu Castle, a historic site deeply connected to the transatlantic slave trade.

There was an emotional reenactment of slave trade in Africa being prepared for transport across the Atlantic at the Christiansborg Castle.

The event climaxed a three-day conference focused on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and efforts to pursue justice following a landmark UN resolution.

In a Facebook post, President Mahama said they concluded on a roadmap for justice after the slave trade.

"I hosted Prime Minister Mia Mottley, traditional leaders, and delegates at Osu Castle to conclude the “Next Steps Consultative Conference.”

We have adopted a unified roadmap for justice after the horrors of the slave trade. That journey took our best and brightest, leaving scars that remain. But unity is our strength."

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"As we commemorated Juneteenth, we honoured our ancestors’ resilience and renewed our commitment to a fairer world," he added.

President Mahama reassured the diasporans that they are welcome to Ghana to help build a better future.

"To our Diaspora brothers and sisters: our doors are open. With Right of Abode laws and increased visa-free travel, we welcome you to the motherland. Let us build the future together."

Netherlands to return 2,000 artefacts to Ghana

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana has secured pledges from several European nations to return looted cultural artefacts and advance reparatory justice, with the Netherlands committing to repatriate 2,000 catalogued items following the Next Steps Reparatory Justice Conference held in Accra.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the outcomes at the Traditional Durbar and Juneteenth Commemoration on Friday, June 19, describing the conference as a turning point that moved the global reparations conversation from talk to concrete action.

Ablakwa disclosed that the Dutch government had already made a symbolic presentation of the 2,000 artefacts to President John Dramani Mahama ahead of the announcement.

Source: YEN.com.gh