President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized that Africans who suffered under the transatlantic slave trade should be recognised as victims of a brutal system, rather than being defined by the label “slaves.”
Delivering a statement at the United Nations High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice in New York at the United Nations Headquarters, themed “Reparatory Justice for the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and the Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans,” on March 24, 2026, Mahama underscored the importance of language in shaping historical understanding and human dignity.
“There is no such thing as a slave. There were human beings who were trafficked and then enslaved by people who believed they could own those human beings as chattel, as their personal property,” he told delegates.
He explained that the distinction is critical, noting that describing people as “slaves” risks stripping them of their humanity and reinforcing the very ideology that justified their exploitation.
“The entire transatlantic slave trade was designed to deny African people their humanity, and that denial was premised on a racial hierarchy with no basis in fact or science,” he said.
Mr. Mahama recounted the harsh realities endured by enslaved Africans, from their capture on the continent to the brutal conditions of the Middle Passage and the inhumane treatment on plantations across the Americas and the Caribbean.
He described how victims were stripped of their names, identities and dignity, forced into labour under violent conditions, and treated as property in systems designed for maximum economic gain.
“Once they were on the plantations, they were no longer known by their names but were given new ones, reduced to ‘boy’ or ‘girl,’ and in many cases subjected to degrading labels that reinforced their dehumanisation,” he noted.
The President stressed that such treatment was sustained by deliberate use of language and laws that codified inequality and legitimised abuse.
“Violence begins with language, when words are used as weapons to codify abuse and reduce human beings to objects,” he added.
President Mahama further called on the international community to support a United Nations resolution aimed at recognising the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as a grave crime against humanity.
According to him, the resolution would allow the world to acknowledge the suffering of millions and begin the process of healing and reparatory justice.
“This resolution allows us as a global community to bear witness to the plight of millions whose lives, families and futures were stolen over centuries. It is a pathway to healing and a safeguard against forgetting,” he stated.
He urged member states to confront the truth about slavery and ensure that future generations understand the full scale of the injustice.
Mr. Mahama concluded by stressing that reclaiming the humanity of those who were enslaved is essential not only for historical accuracy but also for restoring dignity and advancing global justice.
