Why Mahama says African involvement in slavery cannot weaken reparations case

President John Mahama has rejected arguments that the involvement of some Africans in the transatlantic slave trade reduces the responsibility of those who created and profited from the system of slavery.

Speaking at a high-level dialogue on reparations at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, during his state visit, Mr Mahama said the role played by African intermediaries did not absolve the governments, institutions and commercial interests that organised and sustained the trade for centuries.

He compared the argument to claims surrounding the Holocaust, saying the involvement of some Jewish individuals in assisting Nazi operations did not erase the genocide or change its classification as a crime against humanity.

“The Holocaust occurred, and I believe that there was a Holocaust and six million Jews were killed,” President Mahama said.

He added that the actions of individuals who collaborated with Nazi authorities did not mean the Holocaust “didn't happen” or that it was not a crime against humanity.

Mr Mahama said the same principle applied to the transatlantic slave trade.

“Even the argument that Africans were involved in enslaving Africans does not stop it from being the gravest crime against humanity,” he said.

A system built on laws and commerce

The president said discussions about slavery must go beyond individual actors and examine the wider systems that enabled the trade to operate.

He pointed to the legal, financial and commercial structures that supported slavery, including insurance arrangements, auctions and other institutions that treated enslaved people as commodities.

“It was a very systematic trade, and so you cannot wish it away just by saying that some agents whom you use as agents to bring you slaves as commodities participated in it,” he said.

“Because they were Africans, then it means that the slave trade didn't happen. No, we reject that,” he added.

Africa must tell its own history

President Mahama also called for a more complete telling of Africa’s history, saying independent African nations have a responsibility to ensure future generations understand the full reality of slavery.

He said history lessons during his childhood often focused heavily on abolitionists, while giving less attention to the suffering and scale of the slave trade itself.

“When I was growing up in primary school, the abolitionists were put as the most important thing that happened in the slave trade,” he said.

Mr Mahama acknowledged the role abolitionists played but argued that historical accounts often portrayed them as the central figures while failing to fully explain the experiences of millions of enslaved Africans.

“Now we can begin to tell our children the truth,” he said.

Reparations debate gaining global attention

The president said growing international discussions around reparations have increased awareness of the history and consequences of the transatlantic slave trade.

He referenced a United Nations resolution on reparations, saying it had encouraged deeper conversations about what happened and its continuing impact.

“I believe that awareness is being created. People are aware of what happened,” he said.

“And it helps for you to know where we have come from, because that informs where we are going,” he added.

The reparations debate has gained renewed attention globally, with African and Caribbean leaders pushing for recognition of the historical impact of slavery and colonialism and discussions on possible forms of redress.