From the UN to the “Decade of Our Repatriation” (DOOR) as Self-Reparations

by Bless Kudexa

Accra, Ghana

When His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, stood before the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, he delivered a message that resonated with defiance and self-determination: “The future is African!”

His address was a powerful reminder of Africa’s impending demographic dominance and its role as a catalyst for systemic change. He pressed for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, called for an “Africa Reset” of the global financial architecture, and declared an end to the exploitation of the continent’s resources: “We are tired of people extracting the most they can from us and offering the least in return.”

But beyond the demands for external reform, President Mahama planted a deeper seed of justice. He spoke boldly of the need for reparations for the historic crimes of slavery and colonization not merely as a request to the West, but as a framework for Africa’s internal restoration.

The Call for Self-Reparations: The Decade of Our Repatriation (DOOR)

This vision aligns powerfully with the Decade of Our Repatriation—(DOOR) (which coincides with the African Union Decade of Reparations, 2026-2036). For the global African family, this decade is defined not by waiting for external payment, but by enacting self-reparations. It’s the profound realization that Africa will resolve its own issues and solve its own problems by actively welcoming and empowering its diaspora.

Reparation, in this context, is the act of the African continent repairing itself. It is the spiritual, cultural, and economic restoration achieved by embracing the millions of descendants of the transatlantic slave trade who are looking to return home. It is a powerful statement of Black Liberation: we will not rely on the former colonial powers for our healing; we will be the architects of our own renaissance.

The physical and legal act of Repatriation is the most tangible form of self-reparations. By providing a home, a passport, and an investment opportunity, Africa is reclaiming its human capital, restoring dignity, and rebuilding the continent on its own terms.

A Legacy of Citizenship and Return

Crucially, President Mahama’s appearance at the UN solidified a legacy of practical action he helped pioneer. He was one of the first leaders to move beyond rhetoric, institutionalizing the modern repatriation movement by granting a presidential mandate for citizenship for members of the African diaspora.

This bold step of welcoming descendants of enslaved Africans as citizens paved the way for continental initiatives that followed, including Ghana’s globally acclaimed “Year of Return” in 2019 and the subsequent “Beyond the Return” initiative.

As the President of Ghana stood tall at the United Nations, his words were a bridge, reminding the world that the struggle for justice is far from over. But the most important struggle, the one for self-reparations through Repatriation is a struggle Africa is actively winning. The African future, driven by its unified family, is unstoppable.

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Editor’s Note: This article is an interpretive narrative based on President John Dramani Mahama’s established policy positions, the African Union’s declaration of the Decade of Reparations (2026–2036), and the historical context of Pan-African repatriation efforts.