When Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama rose to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly today, he focused attention on Palestine. He urged UN member states to recognize the State of Palestine, framing it as a test of UN credibility and an assertion of Africa’s moral standing on the world stage.
But Mahama was not alone in raising the stakes. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa followed with a forceful address condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, warning against violations of international law, and calling for accountability.
In doing so, both leaders invoked not only present conflicts but a long history of African pleas for justice ignored by the institution meant to protect them.
Mahama’s message was blunt: Africa cannot remain silent while Palestine is denied the dignity of recognition. For Ghana, the issue is not only regional or religious — it is symbolic of the trust (or lack thereof) Africa places in the UN.
He placed his speech in historical context, suggesting that what was at stake was the very credibility of global governance. If the UN cannot uphold the rights of a people long denied theirs, then its moral authority is hollow.
President Ramaphosa’s address cut through diplomatic hedging. He declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to severe violations of international law and echoed South Africa’s legal approach — including the case brought before the International Court of Justice — that alleges genocide. DIRCO
Ramaphosa emphasized that the UN Security Council, in its current structure, is ineffective and undercut by veto power. He called for institutional reform, including a more representative and accountable Security Council. DIRCO
He further demanded that members who violate UN resolutions must face consequences, not impunity. He tied Africa’s own historical struggle against apartheid to the Palestinian cause, saying: “We South Africans know what apartheid looks like … we will not remain silent.” General Debate+1
It was in this very chamber, six decades ago, that Kwame Nkrumah thundered his condemnation of the UN’s inaction during the Congo crisis. He called it a “toothless bulldog.” That phrase became more than a critique — it became a warning: that institutions built on ideals must prove they can act when moral stakes are highest.
Mahama and Ramaphosa’s speeches resurrect that challenge. Instead of Congo, the subject is Palestine and the myriad conflicts across Africa. Instead of postcolonial liberation, the demand is for institutional accountability, legal recourse, and moral consistency.
The UN’s relevance is under question. From veto-blocked resolutions to uneven enforcement of international law, the institution often seems constrained by the interests of its most powerful members.
But Africa has leverage: sovereignty, moral authority, and the growing weight of its demographic and economic rise. By speaking boldly at the UN — demanding recognition for Palestine, reform for the Security Council, and consequences for violations — African leaders are insisting that the UN not only hear but act.
From Lumumba to Palestine, Africa’s message is consistent: justice delayed is justice denied. Nkrumah’s warning was never just a rebuke — it was a demand that the world’s institutions match their ideals with deeds.
Today, Mahama stands with Palestine. Ramaphosa stands for legal accountability. And Africa, once again, asks the same question across generations: Does the UN truly hear us when we speak?
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