President John Dramani Mahama has expressed profound joy following the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the President did not hold back his emotions, stating: “I am overjoyed by the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.”

He noted that the resolution’s journey from conception to adoption was driven by global solidarity, led by key international blocs including the African Union and CARICOM.

“The process of its realisation, from idea to reality, was made possible by the solidarity of people of good conscience around the world and led by the active coalition of the African Union, CARICOM and other groups,” he noted.

President Mahama further emphasised the symbolic importance of the resolution’s adoption on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

“I cannot think of a better way to honour our forebears on the day of remembrance than to have the majority of the world’s countries affirm that the trafficking and enslavement of nearly 13 million human beings is, indeed, the gravest crime against humanity,” he said.

Drawing on history, the president invoked the words of François-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture, a key figure in Haiti’s liberation struggle: “The greatest weapon against oppression is unity.”

He concluded with a call for collective action and remembrance, stating: “We must stand united in seeking the restoration of the humanity and dignity of our forbears who were enslaved and sold.”

The resolution is being hailed as a major milestone in the global push for reparatory justice and recognition of the enduring impact of the transatlantic slave trade.