French museums are stalling the return of tens of thousands of African artworks plundered during colonial rule.
During a visit to Burkina Faso in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to return “African heritage to Africa” within five years, pushing other former colonial powers, including Belgium and Germany, to launch similar initiatives. Despite the pledges efforts have stalled, with a bill authorizing the return of cultural artifacts postponed indefinitely due to right-wing resistance.
French museums are nonetheless conducting extensive research on the origins of around 90,000 African objects, but the lack of clear historical records and sources poses challenges.
Efforts to ease the cost burden and determine criteria for restitution continue, with loans and long-term retainers seen as alternatives to full restitution. In 2021, France repatriated 26 royal treasures its soldiers took from Benin during colonial rule.
