Freetown, Sierra Leone – Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that the ECOWAS Council of Ministers has declared its full support for Ghana’s petition to the African Union against xenophobia and endorsed the Accra Next Steps Commitments on Reparatory Justice.
In a post on social media from Sierra Leone, Mr. Ablakwa said he had been participating in meetings of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers ahead of the summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Council of Ministers backed Ghana’s efforts to seek a stronger continental response to xenophobia through a petition to the African Union.
He also welcomed what he described as the Council’s unconditional endorsement of the Accra Next Steps Commitments on Reparatory Justice, a framework aimed at advancing Africa’s campaign for reparations over the historical injustices of slavery, colonialism and their enduring consequences.
Mr. Ablakwa reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to promoting African unity and cooperation, saying the government would continue to work towards the vision of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, for “a united, tolerant and prosperous Africa.”
The ECOWAS meetings in Sierra Leone precede the gathering of the regional bloc’s Authority of Heads of State and Government, where leaders are expected to deliberate on key political, security and economic issues affecting West Africa.
Story by : Odeefuo Berchie
