President John Dramani Mahama has held bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, with the transatlantic slave trade and the question of reparations high on the agenda.
The two leaders met one-to-one on Tuesday, with Mr Burnham saying the UK wanted to work closely with Ghana to get the issue right.
At the start of the meeting, President Mahama said Britain had shifted some of its very strong positions and was now more open to engaging with the rest of the world and the Commonwealth.
The talks come as the British Prime Minister signals a change in tone on Britain’s historical role.
Mr Burnham has said he is open to apologising for the slave trade, and his spokesman said he is committed to setting up structured dialogue with Caribbean and African partners on the possibility of a formal apology.
Commenting on the development, President Mahama said the new Prime Minister’s approach creates a first step for continued work towards putting the question of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism behind the affected nations.
Mr Burnham has, however, drawn a clear line on compensation.
He has said he does not support reparations, and is instead pushing a “debt reset” to help Commonwealth countries struggling with repayments.
He has also allocated £40 million for infrastructure improvements in the Caribbean.
His offer of talks on a formal apology has prompted questions about whether he is leaving the door open to reparations “by the back door”.
The position contrasts with that of President Mahama, who has led Africa’s push on reparative justice.
At the United Nations General Assembly, he described the slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity and demanded reparations for the enslavement of Africans, the colonisation of their land, and the looting of cultural heritage.
He later returned home on March 30, 2026, to a warm reception after leading efforts to secure a UN resolution recognising the trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
Speaking earlier on that resolution, President Mahama said it was only the first step, and that recognising these injustices was a matter of moral courage rather than division.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has also welcomed Mr Burnham’s willingness to consider a formal apology, while insisting that reparatory justice must remain central to any discussions.