Restitutions of the colonial treasures

Colonialism Reparation asks the repatriation of the remains and the permanent restitution of the treasures looted by former colonizers as a first step in the direction of the Reparation of the damages of the colonialism.

In the last few months the requests for the repatriation of the remains and the definitive restitution of the treasures looted during the colonial period have multiplied. On March 5, 2018 the President of Benin Patrice Talon has asked again France the restitution of the treasures looted during the 1892 conquest and the Government of Tanzania has asked Germany the repatriation of the remains of Songea Mbano, the famous anticolonialist leader during the Maji Maji war. On April 5, 2018 the Government of Ethiopia has asked again the United Kingdom for the restitution of the treasures looted during the 1868 conquest and on April 9, 2018 the Government of Turkey has asked the restitution of the treasures looted during the colonial period. On June 1, 2018 the Culture Minister of Senegal Abdou Latif Coulibaly has participated as spokesperson for a dozen African countries at the UNESCO international conference on new perspectives about circulation of cultural property and shared heritage. On June 7, 2018 the Government of Namibia has asked Germany the restitution of the treasures looted during the colonial period and on June 8, 2018 the Government of Gabon has announced the creation of a national commission for the restitution of the treasures looted during the colonial period. On July 2, 2018 the Government of Ethiopia has asked again the United Kingdom the restitution of the treasures looted during the 1868 conquest.

While historians as Achille Mbembe and David Olusoga have stressed the link between restitution and reparation, in order to answer to the growing international pressure on March 5, 2018 the President of France Emmanuel Macron has appointed a couple of experts, Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr, to study within next November the modalities of restitution of the treasures looted during the colonial period and on May 14, 2018 the Culture Minister of Germany Monica Grütters has presented an ambiguous code of conduct for the museum handling of the treasures looted during the colonial period.

Colonialism Reparation asks the repatriation of the remains and the permanent restitution of the treasures looted by former colonizers (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, etc.) as a first step in the direction of the Reparation of the damages of the colonialism.

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