In a "historic" move, France is displaying 26 looted colonial-era artifacts for one last time before returning them to Benin.
The wooden anthropomorphic statues, royal thrones and sacred altars were pilfered by the French army 129 years ago. A landmark speech by President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 laid down the roadmap for the return of the royal treasures taken during the era of empire and colony. He had said that he can no longer accept "that a large part of many African countries' cultural heritage lies in France."
Benin is founding a new museum in Abomey, partly funded by the French government, that will ultimately house the works. Calixte Biah, curator of the Museum of History of Ouidah, Benin, where the artifacts will first be exhibited said, "We see 26 artifacts. There are others, no? So I wouldn't say that we are ending a process. I'd say we are at the beginning of a process."
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