Senegal to France: give us back all our works of art. And the Ivory Coast follows suit

All over the world people are already talking about cultural decolonization. After the episode, recounted on these pages, of theEaster Island delegation asking the British Museum for the return of a precious moaï, one of the island’s celebrated symbolic stone giants, Africa is also beginning to rise up to demand that European museums return works of art. Last Nov. 23, the president of the French republic, Emmanuel Macron, had announced his willingness to have two experts (Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr) draw up a report on the African heritage preserved in France, and that of returning to Benin twenty-six works of art brought to France in the late 19th century, at the height of the colonial era, after the African state had requested them in 2016. Thus, last Nov. 27, Senegal’s culture minister, Abdou Latif Coulibaly, said his country will ask France for the return “of all works of art identified as belonging to Senegal.” “We are willing to find solutions with France,” Coulibaly said at a press conference presenting the Museum of Black Civilizations, which will open in Dakar on Dec. 6. “If we have identified 10,000 works, we will ask that these 10,000 works be returned to us.”

Senegal’s request was closely joined by Ivory Coast’s. Sidi Touré, minister of communication, said Wednesday (28) that the country will send the French state a list of artworks to be returned. The Elysée Palace would like to see a conference in 2019 between African states and former European colonial powers to discuss these issues. In addition to France, Germany, Belgium, and the United States could participate in the meeting. According to early reports, the conference is likely to be held in the first quarter of 2019.

Pictured: Emmanuel Macron and Abdou Latif Coulibaly

Senegal to France: give us back all our works of art. And the Ivory Coast follows suit

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