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Reparations are about justice, not charity – Kwesi Pratt
Veteran Ghanaian journalist Kwesi Pratt has called for a global push for reparatory justice, insisting that reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism should be treated as a matter of justice rather than charity.
Speaking on the second day of the High-Level Consultative Conference on the next steps following the landmark United Nations Resolution A/Res/80/250 on the trafficking of enslaved Africans, Pratt said reparations are a political, legal and historical necessity.
According to him, the transatlantic slave trade was not an isolated event but a system that was organised and supported by governments, chartered companies, churches and intellectual institutions that benefited from the exploitation of Africans.
He argued that the plantation economy that emerged from slavery created a racial order that portrayed Africans as inferior and justified their enslavement.
He added that the effects of this ideology survived through colonialism, apartheid and other systems that continue to disadvantage African people.
Pratt said reparatory justice must go beyond apologies and financial compensation.
He explained that it should include restitution, rehabilitation, institutional reforms, cultural restoration, educational correction and guarantees that such injustices never happen again.
“The demand for reparations is rooted in memory but directed towards the future,” he said, adding that the goal is not only to correct historical wrongs but also to transform conditions that continue to produce African underdevelopment.
He called for the return of stolen African artefacts and the rewriting of distorted historical accounts, arguing that both are essential components of reparatory justice.
The veteran journalist urged African governments, the African diaspora and international partners to ensure that the recent United Nations resolution becomes the basis for a concrete programme of action rather than a symbolic document.
He proposed the establishment of a permanent and coordinated reparations mechanism involving the African Union, CARICOM, African states, diaspora organisations, legal experts, historians, economists and civil society groups.
According to Pratt, the body should be tasked with researching historical crimes, documenting evidence, advocating for justice and engaging international institutions, including the United Nations, courts, financial institutions, universities and museums.
He called for extensive legal investigations into states, companies, banks, churches and other institutions that participated in or profited from slavery and colonial exploitation.
Mr. Pratt stressed the need for a global reparations education campaign, saying schools, universities, media organisations and cultural institutions must help correct misconceptions about Africa’s history.
He argued that Africa’s poverty and underdevelopment were not the result of destiny but were linked to centuries of exploitation, extraction of resources and colonial domination.
On development, he said reparations should include debt cancellation, industrial support, technology transfer, educational investment, healthcare development and infrastructure expansion across Africa and African-descended communities.
He further criticised attempts to reduce reparations to cultural tourism and symbolic gestures, insisting that the campaign is fundamentally about restoring dignity and addressing historical injustices.
Mr. Pratt questioned the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron in the conference, describing it as inappropriate in the context of discussions on reparatory justice.
Responding to questions after his presentation, he called on civil society organisations, the media and social movements to build international solidarity around the reparations agenda.
He argued that the struggle for reparatory justice is connected to broader global struggles against oppression and inequality and requires the support of people across the world.
Despite the challenges, Pratt expressed confidence that the campaign would succeed.
“We are not begging,” he said. “We are engaged in a struggle for justice.”
He maintained that Africa and its diaspora must continue pushing for accountability and meaningful action, expressing optimism that the fight for reparatory justice would ultimately be won.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A 29-year-old tricycle rider, Naah Mashood, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command arrested the suspect on February 24, 2026, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.
According to police, the convict, who had been contracted by the parents to pick the victim to and from school, lured her to an isolated location on February 23, 2026, and sexually assaulted her inside his tricycle, popularly known as ‘Camboo’.
After thorough investigations, he was arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court and subsequently stood trial at the Wa High Court.
On October 30, 2026, His Lordship Justice Osei-Wusu found him guilty of defilement and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The Upper West Regional Police Command has commended the officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, as well as all persons who contributed to ensuring justice was served.
The Command urged parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children and ensure their safety at all times, and encouraged the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and defilement to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office for prompt action.
It further assured the public of its commitment to protecting children and ensuring perpetrators of sexual offences are brought to justice.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected members of a criminal syndicate believed to be behind a series of robberies targeting bank customers in Kumasi and its environs.
On October 31, 2026, at about 11:30 pm, an IGP’s Special Team, comprising personnel from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID Headquarters and the Accra Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), acting on intelligence, embarked on an operation to apprehend the suspects.
The operation led to the arrest of two Nigerian nationals, Aboy Promise, 30, and Favour Uwalaka, 45, at a hotel at Moshie Zongo. A search of their rooms resulted in the recovery of GH¢1,600.00, assorted mobile phones, a Royal motorbike and a master key used to gain unauthorized access to victims’ vehicles to steal cash.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted their involvement in the robberies and mentioned two accomplices, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, and Kingsley, alias KC.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the syndicate monitored banking premises, identified customers who withdrew substantial sums of money and trailed them before attacking and robbing them. They also broke into unattended vehicles belonging to bank customers using a master key to steal cash kept inside.
The suspects subsequently led the police team to another hotel at Dechemso, a suburb of Kumasi, where Kingsley, alias KC, 35, also a Nigerian national, was arrested.
The remaining accomplice, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, is currently on the run. The Command is appealing to the public to volunteer credible information that could lead to his arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to report to the nearest police station or contact the police through emergency numbers 191, 112 or the toll-free MTN and Telecel line 18555.
The suspects admitted to robbing a victim of GH¢15,000.00 at Asokore Mampong on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after the victim had withdrawn money from Kwamang Rural Bank. They also admitted to similar robberies at the Atonsu branch of Fidelity Bank, the Ahodwo branch of Access Bank and other locations within Kumasi and its environs.
The three arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Ashanti Regional Police Command and are assisting with investigations.
The Command has cautioned bank customers to remain vigilant, be alert to suspicious persons around banking premises and avoid leaving cash or other valuables unattended in vehicles, while commending the public for their continued cooperation and assuring residents of its commitment to combating robbery and other criminal activities in the region.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
