Kyebi: The Office of Daasebre Dr Twum Ampofo II, in collaboration with the Nana Fofie Nkrabea Foundation, Dutch-based slavery institute NiNsee, and diaspora stakeholders, has organized a two-day dialogue in Kyebi focused on reparations and reparatory justice.
According to Ghana News Agency, the meeting aimed to examine the long-lasting spiritual, social, economic, and cultural impacts of the transatlantic slave trade, proposing potential pathways for healing, restoration, and justice. Held at the Ofori Panin Fie with the blessing of Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, the event brought together traditional leaders, diaspora representatives, educators, and advocates from Ghana, the Netherlands, Suriname, and Australia.
Participants engaged in discussions about the enduring social, cultural, economic, and psychological impacts of slavery and colonialism, while exploring practical steps towards achieving reparatory justice. Daasebre Dr Twum Ampofo II, Chief of Asiakwa and Nifahene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, emphasized the profound physical, emotional, spiritual, and developmental scars left on African societies by slavery. He highlighted that communities lost people, resources, artifacts, and cultural heritage due to slavery and colonial exploitation.
Citing historical accounts, Daasebre Ampofo II suggested that some enslaved people were held in areas around Kyebi before being transported elsewhere. He discussed how the removal of natural resources, including gold and timber, deprived communities of opportunities for development, setting them back centuries. Additionally, he argued that the disruption of indigenous belief systems and traditional practices weakened African societies, leading to long-term developmental challenges.
The dialogue also featured contributions from Ms Bridget Agbee-Bamfo, a Ghanaian-born career civil servant based in Australia, who spoke on the undermining of African spirituality, confidence, and cultural identity by slavery and colonialism. She stressed the importance of traditional customs, naming ceremonies, and ancestral practices in building confidence, identity, and a sense of belonging, particularly among Africans living in the diaspora.
Discussions also touched on the cultural legacy of slavery, including the continued use of imported products in traditional ceremonies and the need to strengthen indigenous knowledge systems. Nana Fofie Afia, Nkosuohemaa I of Nana Tongo Shrine at Asokore-Koforidua, emphasized that reparatory justice must extend beyond financial compensation to include the restoration of traditional authority, indigenous knowledge systems, and cultural identity.
Mr Ranger Mawuenyega, Advisor on International Relations and Diaspora Affairs at the Office of Daasebre Dr Twum Ampofo II, highlighted that the dialogue followed engagements with diaspora organisations and NiNsee during a cultural diplomacy mission to the Netherlands last year. He noted that Ghana's recent advocacy on reparations at the United Nations had renewed international attention on slavery and its enduring consequences.
Participants identified education, capacity building, cultural restoration, mental health support, economic empowerment, and stronger engagement between Africa and the diaspora as priorities for any reparations framework. They emphasized that financial compensation alone could not address the legacy of slavery and called for coordinated action among governments, traditional authorities, scholars, civil society organisations, and diaspora communities to promote reconciliation, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. The forum acknowledged the CARICOM 10-Point Reparations Plan and welcomed growing international recognition of slavery as a historical injustice requiring redress.