Europe should stop games and return artifacts

Finally, Belgium recently returned a golden tooth, the only relic of the slain first Prime Minister of DR Congo, Patrice Lumumba. Belgians, typical of colonialists, kept it as a trophy. It took years for it to be released — for burial and “closure”. 

Europe did not just colonise Africa; it spilt blood, looted labour and natural resources. There’s more: Europe ruined Africa’s spirit and soul. This essence is in the hundreds of thousands of stolen artefacts stashed in European and American museums.

For decades, campaigners have prosecuted the case for repatriation and restitution of the treasures but Europe remains unyielding. It’s frustrating. Perpetual detention of Africa’s heritage is continued colonisation. It exposes a society that packages itself as rules-based, moral, ethical and regretful of its horrific past.

The National Museums of Kenya runs the Invisible Inventories Programme — documenting Kenya’s artefacts held in other jurisdictions. Some of the artefacts are printed in 3D. Yet, the National Geographic reports that one of the printed artefacts was laughed off by Nyanza locals.

Cultural heritage

It’s understandable. Plastic cannot replace the real thing. That’s why those originals should be returned to their native spaces and studied and enjoyed in context. They can be lent back to them for research and cultural diplomacy.

But give it to the Europeans for their spectacular deceit, hypocrisy and exploitative prowess. Over the years, they’ve crocheted flimsy excuses as to why they need to keep the artefacts. One of the laughable spins is security and storage of the items. Yet, take Kenya and Ethiopia, for instance. They’re home to priceless hominids in form of Turkana Boy and Lucy, respectively. 

African curators have come of age, too. Similarly, governments are appreciated the centrality of cultural heritage to nationbuilding and identity.

But then, Europeans are clinging on to the artefacts because they have commodified them. Antiques enrich the lucrative museum business in Europe. So, they trivialise Africa’s desire and conviction to their culture. Yet, in Europe, there’s hue and cry as Russian soldiers sack and loot Ukraine’s museums for priceless artefacts. 

Looting of artefacts

For instance, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has trained his eyes on the priceless Scythian gold, which is at the heart of Ukraine’s cultural identity. On May 27, The Guardian reported that “2,000 stolen artworks attest to Putin’s desire to erase a nation’s history — like so many despots before him”. 

That’s what exactly the Europeans aspired to do through their destruction and looting of artefacts. If Ukraine’s treasures matter, shouldn’t the Benin bronze or the Giriama’s vinyago, too?

National Geographic reckons that about 30,000 Kenyan artefacts are stashed in museums abroad. The cultural, academic or historical significance of these items cannot be gainsaid. It’s time to stop the Mickey Mouse games and return the artefacts.

Mr Wamanji is a Public Relations and Communication consultant [email protected] @manjis