Benin demands France return cultural treasures

Benin demands France return cultural treasures

The West African nation has renewed its claim to a sacred statue and other objects removed during colonial rule
Benin has renewed its demand for the return of 35 cultural artifacts and archival materials held in France, including a sacred statue taken during the colonial era, Benin Web TV reported on Tuesday.
President Romuald Wadagni raised the issue during talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday. The requested objects include a carved wooden divination tray at the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum, a statue of Gou, the Vodun god of iron and war, and the throne of King Toffa of Porto-Novo.
The statue of Gou was taken to France during its conquest of Dahomey in the late 19th century. Benin had previously sought its return under former President Patrice Talon, but the sculpture was not among the objects handed back by France in 2021.
Benin could receive an initial response from Paris by mid-October, RFI reported on Wednesday, citing informed sources. Further discussions are expected to determine whether France will return all 35 objects or only some of them.
The renewed request comes after France introduced a new legal framework in May to simplify the repartriation of cultural objects acquired unlawfully during the colonial period.
France previously returned 26 royal treasures to Benin in November 2021. They had been seized by French troops during the conquest of the Kingdom of Dahomey in 1892 and were held in French museum collections for more than a century.
African countries have repeatedly called for the return of cultural artifacts taken under colonial rule. Nigeria has secured agreements with European countries, including Germany, for the restitution of the Benin Bronzes looted by British troops in 1897.
In June, three Swiss museums returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, including 14 from the University of Zurich. The handover followed a formal request submitted by the Nigerian authorities in 2024.

Guinea has made similar demands. In September, Culture Minister Moussa Moïse Sylla urged France to set a clear timetable for returning objects belonging to anti-colonial leader Samory Toure and the remains of Bocar Biro and his companions.