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Brazil Joins Ghana’s UN Campaign to Declare Transatlantic Slave Trade the Gravest Crime Against Humanity

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Accra, Ghana / Brasília, Brazil – Brazil has formally endorsed Ghana’s landmark draft resolution before the United Nations General Assembly that seeks to classify the transatlantic trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity ever committed,” significantly strengthening the global coalition behind the initiative.

The announcement came on March 21, 2026, following high-level diplomatic engagements between Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Brazilian representatives in New York.

Brazil’s support adds considerable diplomatic weight to the campaign, given the country’s historical role as the largest single destination for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade — receiving an estimated 4.8 million people between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Ghana, acting as lead coordinator for the African Union on reparations, plans to table the resolution titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity” on March 25, 2026. The text calls on all UN member states to:

– Recognize the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity without statute of limitations

– Commit to accurate, mandatory education about the trade and its legacies in national curricula worldwide

– Support meaningful dialogue on reparatory justice, including financial compensation, technology transfer, debt relief, and restitution of looted cultural artefacts

– Actively combat contemporary racial discrimination and Afrophobia rooted in the historical injustice

Minister Ablakwa described Brazil’s endorsement as “a powerful affirmation of shared historical responsibility and collective resolve to confront the enduring consequences of this crime.”

He stated that the resolution aims not only at formal recognition but also at laying a foundation for reconciliation, healing, and concrete reparative measures.

The campaign builds on decades of advocacy by African and Caribbean states, including CARICOM’s 10-point reparatory justice plan and ongoing discussions at the UN Human Rights Council. Ghana has positioned itself as a leading voice, leveraging its “Year of Return” initiatives and diaspora engagement to rally international support.

If adopted, the resolution would represent one of the strongest collective statements by the international community on the transatlantic slave trade’s scale — which forcibly displaced more than 12 million Africans, with approximately 2 million dying during the Middle Passage — and its lasting socio-economic, cultural, and psychological impacts.

The African Union, CARICOM, UNESCO, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), global scholars, activists, and diplomatic missions in Addis Ababa, Geneva, and New York have contributed to refining the draft. Ghana continues to seek additional co-sponsors ahead of the March 25 presentation.

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Ghana Armed Force Personnel Declared Wanted in Double Homicide, GH₵100,000 Reward Offered

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ACCRA — The Ghana Police Service has launched a manhunt for a 30-year-old military officer in connection with the brutal murder of a couple at Saki, near Tema Golf City, and is offering a GH₵100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

The suspect, identified as Prince Krah, is wanted for the killing of Ebenezer Kwabena Obiri, 45, and Mary Anim, 22, whose bodies were discovered with multiple machete wounds in their chamber-and-hall apartment on May 1, 2026.

According to police reports, investigators established that Krah had been cohabiting with the couple prior to the incident. Obiri was last seen alive in the company of the suspect on the night of April 30.

Following preliminary investigations, the Kpone Magistrate Court issued a warrant for Krah’s arrest on May 4.

Krah is described as approximately 5.7 feet tall, dark in complexion, and of stout build. He was last seen wearing a Lacoste shirt and jeans.

Security intelligence suggests that Krah has gone into hiding and may be seeking refuge within the Kakusunanka area or the Kamina Barracks in Tamale, according to police statements. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution, noting that the suspect should be considered dangerous.

The police service has appealed to citizens to report any sightings of the suspect to the nearest police station or via the emergency toll-free lines 191 or 112. The GH₵100,000 reward is offered for credible information that directly leads to Krah’s arrest.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Ghana’s Inflation Edges Up to 3.4% in April, Ending 16 Months of Declines

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ACCRA — May 6, 2026 Ghana’s consumer inflation rose marginally to 3.4 percent year-on-year in April, marking the first increase in 16 months and snapping a steady disinflationary trend that began in December 2024, according to data released Wednesday by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The 0.2 percentage point increase from March’s 3.2 percent reading ends a prolonged period of declining inflation that had brought the rate down dramatically from 23.8 percent in December 2024. While the uptick is modest by historical standards, it signals a potential shift in the country’s inflation trajectory after more than a year of consistent improvements.

Government Statistician Alhassan Iddrisu attributed the April increase primarily to rising non-food inflation, which climbed to 4.2 percent from 3.9 percent in March. In contrast, food inflation continued to ease, declining by a full percentage point to 2.2 percent—offering some relief for household grocery budgets even as other costs rose.

The divergence between food and non-food prices suggests that supply-side pressures in agricultural markets may be moderating, while demand-side or cost-push factors in sectors such as housing, transport, and utilities are exerting upward pressure.

The data also revealed notable differences between locally produced and imported goods. Inflation for locally produced items stood at 4.7 percent in April, down slightly from 4.9 percent in March. Meanwhile, inflation for imported items rose to 0.5 percent from a negative reading of -0.6 percent in March, indicating that deflationary pressures on imported goods have eased.

For policymakers at the Bank of Ghana, the April reading will be closely watched. The central bank has maintained a tight monetary policy stance over the past year to anchor inflation expectations and stabilize the cedi. While 3.4 percent remains within most central bank comfort zones—and is still low by Ghana’s historical standards—the end of the 16-month declining streak may prompt questions about whether inflation has bottomed out.

Economists will be looking to May data to determine whether April’s uptick is an anomaly or the beginning of a new upward trend. Key factors to monitor include global commodity prices, the exchange rate, and domestic fuel prices, all of which could influence non-food inflation in the coming months.

For now, the GSS data confirms that Ghana’s inflation remains relatively low compared to the crisis levels of late 2024, but the first increase in well over a year serves as a reminder that the disinflationary path is rarely a straight line.

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How Ghanaian Mentors Are Helping Chinese Engineers Build Better Roads

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When Chinese engineers arrive in Ghana to work on major infrastructure projects, they bring technical expertise and modern construction methods.

But to build roads that truly serve Ghanaian communities, many are discovering that they also need local teachers.

At China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group (CR5) Ghana Limited, the company redeveloping and expanding the historic Accra-Tema Motorway, a cross-mentoring program is flipping the traditional training model on its head. While Chinese engineers mentor Ghanaian graduates on laboratory testing and standardized operations, Ghanaian staff are simultaneously mentoring their Chinese counterparts on something equally critical: how to communicate, respect local customs, and build genuine relationships.

Benedict Anane, a Ghanaian human resource management officer at CR5 Ghana Limited, recalls the transformation he witnessed in Wang Su, a young Chinese engineer who arrived struggling with more than just language barriers.

“When Wang first arrived, like many professionals working in a new environment, she faced the challenge of communication,” Anane told Xinhua. “But what sets her apart is her openness to learning beyond technical work.”

Wang demonstrated a strong desire to understand people, respect local customs, and build genuine relationships.

“These are qualities that go far beyond engineering. They are the foundations of successful collaboration,” Anane said.

Wang, who has since adapted remarkably to her new environment, credits Anane with helping her overcome the fear of making errors while speaking to people. What truly changed her, she explained, was “not about learning more words, but learning how to communicate with people.”

“He was very patient, encouraged me to speak, even if my tenses were not perfect,” Wang said. “More importantly, he taught me things beyond language. For example, how to speak in a more friendly way, and how to communicate with different people outside. This experience taught me that language isn’t only a tool, it is also a bridge between people and culture generally.”

The cross-mentoring model operates in both directions. On the technical side, Chinese materials engineer Zhang Zeyun has been mentoring 26-year-old Ghanaian graduate Eric Ampadu, who dreamed of a technology career but faced a difficult job market where 32.8 percent of Ghanaians aged 15 to 24 were unemployed in 2021, according to the Ghana Statistical Service.

Ampadu was hired in January 2025 as a civil engineer attached to the laboratory for material testing. Under Zhang’s guidance, he has significantly improved his skills in material testing, professional practices, and standardized operations.

“Now, Ampadu can complete daily laboratory testing work on his own,” Zhang said.

But the mentoring flows both ways. As Ampadu learns Chinese engineering standards, his Chinese colleagues learn from Anane and other Ghanaian staff how to navigate local protocols, interpret non-verbal cues, and build the trust that keeps projects running smoothly.

Chen Zhen, deputy managing director of CR5 Ghana Limited, said these strong bonds between local and Chinese staff are not merely a human resources nicety, they directly impact project efficiency and quality.

“Infrastructure connects not only lands and waterways but also people’s hearts,” Chen said. “In Ghana, every road and bridge we construct means far more than steel and concrete structures. They embody the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.”

The company’s approach, Chen explained, goes beyond the ordinary employer-employee relationship.

“We work as one integrated team,” he said. “We encourage open communications and mutual respect so that Chinese staff and local employees can work together in a harmonious working environment.”

The goal, he added, is “to foster a development community built on mutual trust, knowledge exchange, and cultural harmony.”

For Anane, watching Wang grow from a hesitant newcomer into a confident engineer who can engage comfortably with colleagues and community members alike has been deeply encouraging.

“Her improvement in language, along with her willingness to learn, adapt, and connect across cultures, deeply encourages me,” he said.

As the Accra-Tema Motorway, first completed in 1965 under Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, undergoes its major redevelopment and expansion, the road itself may be the most visible product of the China-Ghana partnership. But those working on it say the less visible product, mutual understanding built through daily, two-way mentoring, may prove even more durable.

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