Ghana to Receive 2,000 Looted Artifacts from Germany and Netherlands

Germany and the Netherlands have committed to returning around 2,000 looted cultural artifacts to Ghana, as announced by the African nation’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Saturday. This significant pledge was made during the Next Steps Conference, where the Dutch and German ambassadors presented a catalogue of the items intended for repatriation to Ghanaian President John Mahama. However, the catalogue has not yet been made publicly available.

In a post on X, Ablakwa expressed his approval of the move, referring to it as a sign of “the positive conduct of restitution we are beginning to witness from our international partners in Europe since the adoption of the historic Ghana-led UN Resolution.” This resolution, adopted in March, recognizes the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

The conference also marked a moment of acknowledgment from Denmark, where Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen apologized for the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. He pledged support for preserving the forts and castles built by Denmark in present-day Ghana, emphasizing that this effort would help safeguard historical memory, promote truth-telling, and prevent similar injustices from occurring in the future.

Advancing Reparatory Justice Initiatives

Additionally, President Mahama announced the establishment of three international bodies aimed at advancing reparatory justice: the Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice, the Expert Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Artefacts, and the Global Legal Panel on Reparatory Justice. Mahama stated that these groups would help develop practical pathways for restitution, historical accountability, and legal redress, asserting, “We do not seek to reopen old wounds. We seek to heal those wounds.”

Follow The Money

The push for restitution of looted artifacts has gained momentum in recent years. In February, Cambridge University formally transferred ownership of 116 Benin Bronzes and other artifacts to Nigeria, with the physical return of most of these objects expected to be completed by the end of the year. Similarly, France returned the sacred Djidji Ayokwe talking drum to Cote d’Ivoire, which had been taken during the colonial period in 1916 and held in France for over a century.

As the conversation around restitution continues to evolve, the actions taken by Germany and the Netherlands represent a significant step towards addressing historical injustices and fostering international cooperation in the realm of cultural heritage.