Original Story Published by: Mazuba Kapambwe for IR Insider
Photo Source: ©Obtala
(Above) The Victoria and Albert Museum houses numerous artifacts from the Maqdala battle from Ethiopia. .
French President Emmanuel Macron recently demanded the return of 26 artifacts that were stolen by the colonial power in 1894 from the kingdom of Behanzin in Benin.
A report commissioned by the French government recommended the return of the artifacts to their country of origin. According to CNN,
“French collections now house at least 90,000 pieces originating from sub-Saharan Africa… The report suggested a three-phased approach. The first, the return of ‘several symbolic pieces whose return has been requested for a long time by various African nations.’ Then, an international inventory of stolen pieces. And the final phase would include African nations submitting claims of restitution.”
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 90% of Africa’s cultural heritage is housed outside of Africa, located mostly in museums. For instance, 70,000 Sub-Saharan pieces are located in the Paris Quai Branly museum. In a trip to Burkina Faso, Macron stated, “African heritage can’t just be in European private collections and museums.”
Many African countries have appealed to Western museums to return items taken from them, resulting in moderate success. Ethiopia has been appealing to Britain to return the artifacts taken from the 1868 battle of Maqdala. Their appeal resurfaced after the Victoria and Albert Museum ”Maqdala 1868” exhibition opened in April 2018.
To read the full article, visit IR Insider.
Related
