Ghana’s Foreign Minister Botchwey Appointed Commonwealth Secretary General

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has been appointed among two others as the new secretary-general of the Commonwealth.

The former lawmaker, on September 11, 2024, alongside Joshua Setipa from Lesotho and Mamadou Tangara from Gambia, had pitched her candidacy to lead the 56-country organisation.

Following her appointment by the Commonwealth Head of Government, Botchwey wrote on X, expressing humbleness to have been selected.

The work indeed lies ahead,” she wrote on X.

Botchwey’s appointment occurred in Samoa (Chogm) during the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, which had been dominated by calls for Britain to pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade against Africa’s former colonies.

During a debate at London’s Chatham House last month, Botchwey, Setipa and Tangara supported the calls for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.

However, King Charles III, who is the head of the ceremonial organisation following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, was expected to tender an apology for the harm caused by the former slave-owning state Britain is known for.

None of us can change the past, but we can commit…to learning its lessons,” he said.

On reparations, the UK’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, had, on Monday and before the summit leading to the appointment of Botchwey, maintained that no apology would be tendered and that 10 Downing Street is not considering reparations for slavery. This is despite all vying candidates for the Commonwealth secretary general position having called for reparations and justice.

Meanwhile, with reparations discussions still much of ongoing pressure on the UK government, Botchwey has backed drafting a free trade agreement among Commonwealth member states.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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