President Mahama reiterates stance on global equity and reparations following UN address:
"I meant and stand by every single word I said at the UN address"- President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has affirmed his commitment to the points he raised during his address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
In a video shared on Facebook on Friday, October 17, 2025, in response to positive feedback regarding his speech, President Mahama told Wode Maya that the reactions were anticipated due to his heartfelt delivery.
He explained that he carefully formulated his message to address key issues, including reparations, the global system, and the need for increased African representation on the UN Security Council.
“When you speak from the heart, that’s how it comes across,” he said, emphasizing the importance of owning the content of a speech. He stated that he crafted the speech to reflect his beliefs on justice and equity for Africa.
President Mahama further expressed concern that the existing global order disadvantages the African continent, leading to marginalization.
He specifically pointed to the system where African countries export raw materials to the Western world, but the West dictates the prices of finished products sold back to Africans.
“Aside from that, the current world order is rigged against Africa,” he stated. He argued that trade patterns established during the colonial era remain in place, with infrastructure designed to extract resources for export to former colonial powers. He said this results in the effect of being colonial slaves.
The President highlighted that Africa does not control the pricing of raw materials like cocoa and gold, despite being a major exporter of these resources. “Cocoa doesn’t grow in Europe, and yet Europe determines how much cocoa should be purchased for and so these are all the kinds of things that we need to look at.”
