Justice for Akwamu Kingdom – Restoring a Stolen Sovereignty

Barbara Vandross

HRH Princess Of Akwamu

Heir Of The Yaa Ansaa Royal Family

We are raising funds to support a landmark legal challenge to address colonial injustices suffered by the Akwamu Kingdom, a powerful West African nation whose sovereignty was undermined by British colonial actions in the 19th century.

In 1886, the British Governor of the Gold Coast signed a treaty with the King and Chiefs of Akwamu—known as the Aquamoo Treaty. Under Article 3 of the treaty implies that its validity was contingent on formal ratification within 12 months, as it granted Britain the right to refuse ratification within that period; the absence of ratification would therefore amount to an automatic rejection under customary international law. However, British government records confirm that no such ratification ever took place, and no rejection was formally issued either. Under customary international law, treaties that are not ratified within the required period are considered legally invalid.

Despite this, Britain later acted as if the treaty had full legal effect—ceding parts of Akwamu territory and imposing a regent king in 1940. These actions had no legal foundation and deprived the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family, custodians of Akwamu, of their ancestral rights.

We are now seeking legal redress in both the UK High Court and, if necessary, the International Court of Justice. Our case is supported by recent British Parliamentary correspondence, an affidavit from the Head of the Akwamu Royal Family (son of the late Queen Nana Akua Ansaa), and court documents showing historical suppression of royal testimony in Ghanaian courts.

We aim to:

Establish that the 1886 treaty was never legally valid

Challenge the imposition of a Regent King in 1940

Pursue reparative justice and formal recognition of the Akwamu’s sovereignty

Raise global awareness ahead of the 300th anniversary (in 2030) of the fall of the Akwamu Empire

With the backing of our local MP and a growing legal team, we now need your support to fund legal representation, historical research, and international advocacy.

Every contribution brings us one step closer to truth, justice, and the restoration of dignity for millions of Akwamu descendants across the diaspora.

Please Stand With Us!!!

Learn more at https://medium.com/@babsytrading/yaa-ansaa-royal-family-11705b0aab8d