'I was summoned by US government over Mahama's reparations statement' – Victor Smith

Ghana's Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, has revealed that he was summoned to the US State Department to explain and defend President John Dramani Mahama’s remarks on reparations.

On March 25, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity.

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The resolution followed calls by President Mahama for reparations for the enslavement of Africans and the colonisation of the continent, which he said resulted in the loss of lives, natural resources and cultural artefacts.

Recounting the incident on Channel One TV on November 2, 2026, Smith said a panel led by the US Deputy Secretary of State summoned him for questioning after an aspect of President Mahama’s speech on reparations reportedly drew objections from the US administration.

“There was a reaction here on the reparation bit… On the reparation issue that I can comment on, after he got the votes at the Assembly for the resolution, there was a reaction from the State Department.

“I was summoned to the State Department because an aspect of the president's speech did not sit well with the US administration, and I went there to defend the president's statement,” he said.

Smith said he told the US officials that he would provide evidence to support his position that efforts were being made to remove Black history from the American school curriculum.

He also questioned why the President would make such remarks at the United Nations if there was no basis for them.

“And I assured the Deputy Secretary of State, who was the leader of the panel that was grilling me, that I'd give him enough evidence to suggest that the US administration was trying to eliminate Black history from their curriculum to hide what had happened in the past about Black history.

“And I was trying to suggest that it wasn't true, and I was saying to him that, well, if it wasn't true, I don't think my president would have made that speech at the UN,” he stated.

The ambassador said the meeting became heated, with some US officials reportedly expressing displeasure over President Mahama’s decision to make the remarks on American soil.

“And of course, the Secretary of State was so angry that the president can come and make such statements on American soil. Well, they were not very happy. I mean, there was shouting, much went on in the State Department for a while,” he said.

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Smith said he contacted President Mahama and the Minister for Foreign Affairs immediately after leaving the meeting to brief them on what had transpired.

“As soon as I left, I called the president and the minister for foreign affairs to inform them. I believe the foreign minister also summoned their ambassador and also given some bollocks,” he added.

MAG/MA

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