Netherlands and Germany to return over 2,000 artefacts to Ghana

Ghana's foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that Germany and the Netherlands will return over 2,000 cultural artifacts that were unlawfully taken during colonial times. At the Next Steps Conference held in Accra from June 17 to 19, Dutch ambassador Jeroen Verheul presented a catalogue of these items to President John Dramani Mahama. Additionally, Germany has recognized objects from the Kpando traditional area for restitution. Verheul remarked that the Netherlands views such restitution requests as essential for addressing historical wrongs, highlighting a demand-driven policy focused on transparency through digitization. The conference, which followed a UN resolution on March 26 condemning the transatlantic slave trade, included notable speakers like Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The event concluded with a Juneteenth celebration featuring a re-enactment of the slave trade at Christiansborg Castle, built by Denmark in 1661, which has committed to preservation efforts. Recently, European nations like France, Germany, and the Netherlands have relaxed their restitution policies, facilitating returns to Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria.