Mahama Urges African Unity to Rewrite Continent’s Narrative at Diaspora Summit

President John Dramani Mahama has called on African countries to strengthen unity in order to redefine the continent’s narrative and break free from the lingering effects of colonial oppression.

Speaking at the Diaspora Summit 2025 held in Accra on Friday, December 19, President Mahama said Africa must move beyond artificial divisions that continue to separate its people.

“We have to stop drawing those lines of demarcation that say I end here and you begin there,” he stated.

The summit, themed “Resetting Ghana: The Diaspora as the 17th Region,” brought together Ghanaians living abroad and people of African descent from across the world.

President Mahama emphasized the importance of reclaiming suppressed African histories as a foundation for shaping the future.

“By finding and owning the stories of our past, the ones that have been suppressed, we are able to truly know ourselves. And with that knowledge of self comes the power to write ourselves truthfully, respectfully into not only our future but the future of all humanity,” he said.

He noted that the gathering marked the beginning of a deliberate process to reclaim African identity and ownership of its narrative.

“That is why we are gathered here today at this Diaspora Summit to begin the process of reclamation in earnest. To begin the process of writing our own story and moving full steam ahead,” the President added.

President Mahama further urged Africans to be intentional about unity, stressing that unity must remain a top priority despite historical and political divisions across the continent.