‘DARK PAST’: GERMANY HANDS OVER 20 LOOTED BENIN BRONZES TO NIGERIA

Wed 21 December 2022:

In an effort to address its “dark colonial past,” Germany has returned 20 antique bronze sculptures to Nigeria, according to the country’s foreign minister on Tuesday.

In a ceremony in the country’s capital, Abuja, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock handed off the priceless cultural artifacts to Nigerian officials. The statues, which are referred to as Benin bronzes, were stolen from the West African nation by British forces during its colonial era.

“It was wrong to steal these bronzes. It was wrong to keep these bronzes and it is long overdue to return these bronzes to their home,” she said at the event.

The sculptures, which were made of cast brass and bronze with ancient designs, were used in rituals to honor the ancestors and rulers of the Benin people.

According to Nigerian authorities, during its time as the country’s colonizer, England is thought to have stolen more than 5,000 antique artifacts from Nigeria.

The majority of the artifacts were taken from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, which is now a part of southern Nigeria, and some of them ended up in the possession of other foreign governments, such Germany.

Activists say there needs to be more accountability that goes beyond the return of the items, such as compensation for the losses incurred by African countries throughout years of looting.

“We are only focusing on the physical objects. What about the digital properties of these works? Who owns those properties? And what is coming with these works?” said Victor Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian artist and advocate for reparation efforts.

“What other restitution and payments do they have to make for holding these works for a long time and making money from it?” he said.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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