A PhD researcher at Johns Hopkins University, Emmanuel Agangzesum Awine, has argued that Ghana’s conversation on reparations for slavery must first address internal healing and reconciliation before seeking international compensation.
Mr. Awine, who is researching the slave trade and colonialism in Northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso, believes reparations are important but must be approached strategically through engagement with affected communities.
Speaking on A1 Radio, he said communities that suffered slave raids continue to carry emotional wounds linked to the loss of their ancestors.
“Reparations is a good thing globally, but you cannot be on the global stage demanding reparations if you have not done your homework. There must be internal reparations, reconciliation and healing,” he stated.
He explained that during his field research in communities including Mirigu, Bongo, Navrongo and Zeko, he encountered families who still struggle to discuss how their relatives were taken away.
“Sometimes you think they don’t know, but they remember. They just don’t want to discuss the circumstances under which they lost their family members,” he said.
Mr. Awine believes healing must involve acknowledging painful histories, preserving community memories and reconnecting descendants of enslaved Africans with their ancestral communities.
He cited examples of families in Northern Ghana that have preserved memories of relatives taken into slavery, including stories of descendants returning from abroad to reconnect with their roots.
The researcher said the proposed Deyaanga Museum of Healing and Reconciliation is designed to provide such a platform.
“It is not just a museum of slavery. It is a museum of healing and reconciliation,” he stressed.
The museum project, which is being developed in Navrongo, aims to create a space for dialogue between affected Ghanaian communities and members of the African diaspora.
Mr. Awine added that the initiative will support broader conversations on memory, identity, restitution and historical justice.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
