France Receives Report on Restitution of African Cultural Heritage
On November 23, 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron received a presentation titled "The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics," delivered by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French art historian Bénédicte Savoy. This report, crafted with contributions from Isabelle Maréchal and Vincent Negri, emerged after discussions with scholars and political figures from France and various African countries, including Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, and Benin, between March and July 2018. Macron had previously declared a shift in policy regarding the restitution of African cultural heritage in November 2017. The report outlines four categories for partial restitution and stresses the importance of thorough historical analysis, addressing the imbalance in museum collections between France and Africa, marking a notable political statement.
Key facts
- Report presented to Macron on November 23, 2018
- Authors: Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy
- Consultations involved Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Benin
- Macron announced policy shift in Ouagadougou, November 2017
- France refused Benin's restitution request in 2016
- British Museum holds 69,000 African objects
- Musée du quai Branly holds 70,000 African objects
- African national museums have about 3,000 objects
- Report identifies four categories for partial restitution
- UK agreed temporary restitution of 1,000 Benin Bronzes
Entities
Artists
- Felwine Sarr
- Bénédicte Savoy
- Isabelle Maréchal
- Vincent Negri
- Alain Godonou
- John Peffer
- Alfred Dodds
Institutions
- Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac
- British Museum
- Weltmuseum Wien
- Royal Museum for Central Africa
- University of Ouagadougou
- UNESCO
Locations
- France
- Senegal
- Mali
- Cameroon
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Ouagadougou
- Paris
- London
- Vienna
- Brussels
- Benin City
- Nigeria