Ghanaian President John Mahama has urged the United Nations to abandon what he called “hide-and-seek with language” and confront the Gaza crisis directly, warning that crimes against Palestinians must not be minimized or ignored. Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 25, Mahama criticized world leaders for using euphemisms instead of acknowledging the severity of the situation.
“For nearly two years, for fear of reprisal, we here in this General Assembly have been playing hide-and-seek with language to avoid or excuse what we all know is happening,” he said. “The crimes in Gaza must stop.” Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s support for a two-state solution, stressing that such an approach was not a reward for Hamas but rather a path to relief for innocent civilians enduring what he described as “collective punishment and forced starvation.”
The Ghanaian leader also condemned the recent denial of visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation, calling it a “bad precedent” that undermines the UN’s credibility and ability to fulfill its mandate. Mahama’s remarks place Ghana among a growing number of voices from the Global South demanding stronger international accountability and a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
