President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to champion a continental Right of Return policy for Africans in the diaspora when Ghana assumes the Chairmanship of the African Union (AU), describing repatriation as a fundamental right rather than an act of charity.
He disclosed this during his address to a joint sitting of the Jamaican Parliament during his State Visit to the Caribbean nation.
President Mahama said every African country should establish legal pathways that would enable people of African descent across the world to return, settle and become part of the continent’s development.
“The right of persons of African descent in the diaspora to return to the mother continent is not an act of charity or compassion. Repatriation is not an act of kindness. Repatriation is a right of all persons of African descent to return to the mother continent and settle or reside if they wish,” he stated.
President Mahama said Ghana had already demonstrated leadership in that regard through the Right of Abode Act, enacted in 2000, and was currently considering a Homeland Return Bill to further strengthen residence and citizenship pathways for members of the global African family.
“That is why Ghana passed the Right of Abode Act in the year 2000 and is currently considering a new Homeland Return Bill that will codify residence and citizenship pathways for all members of the global African family,” he said.
He announced that expanding the policy across Africa would form one of the initiatives he intended to pursue when Ghana takes over the African Union Chairmanship.
“This is one of the articles of the manifesto I wish to push when I become the AU Chairman, that all African nations must have a right of return for all members of the global African family,” President Mahama declared.
The President said the proposal reflected the enduring bonds between Africa and its diaspora and would strengthen the relationship between the continent and people of African descent across the world.
He described the State Visit as more than a diplomatic engagement, saying it represented a reunion of history and a reaffirmation of the shared heritage linking Africa and the Caribbean.
“Our gathering here today is much more than a diplomatic engagement. It is a reunion of history. It’s a celebration of our shared heritage and a reaffirmation that although the Atlantic Ocean may separate our shores, it can never diminish the bonds that unite our people,” he said.
President Mahama noted that Ghana and Jamaica’s relationship had been forged through shared sacrifice, resilience and the common pursuit of freedom, justice and human dignity rather than through diplomatic agreements alone.
Reflecting on the painful legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, he stressed the need for historical truth, reconciliation and reparatory justice while urging both regions to focus on building a shared future.
“Our pursuit of reparatory justice is not motivated by resentment or hostility. It is inspired by our commitment to the truth, to accountability, to reconciliation and to healing,” he said.
President Mahama expressed appreciation to Jamaica for supporting Ghana’s reparations initiative at the United Nations General Assembly and for its contribution to the Accra Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s support for Jamaica’s petition to King Charles III on slavery and restitution, saying different approaches could achieve the common objective of justice.
The President urged Africa and the Caribbean to transform their historical connections into practical partnerships through trade, investment, innovation and stronger people-to-people relations.
He said the friendship between Ghana and Jamaica should become a model for a renewed Africa-Caribbean relationship founded on shared prosperity, mutual respect and common purpose.
President Mahama concluded by urging leaders to honour the sacrifices of previous generations by creating a future in which Africa, the Caribbean and the global African family stand together as equal partners in shaping a more just and inclusive world.