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BY: Wilhelmina Oddoye
It’s been a hundred and fifty years since the colonial wars, where the British ransacked the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. Historical accounts hold that during the ransacking, many Asante items were looted and taken to Great Britain. These ancestral ornaments stolen from the Ashanti homeland have adorned the European and North American museums for over a decade. That is a hundred and fifty years.
In a recent development, the Asantehene has managed to secure a six-year loan agreement for the return of the gold and silver treasures looted from the Ashanti kingdom during the colonial wars. This was a result of nine months of court negotiations to reunite the royal ornaments with the Ashanti people as the Asantehene Osei Tutu II prepared to celebrate his silver jubilee of reign in April.
I have observed media reportage on this issue, and they all keep talking about the ‘return’ of these royal artifacts. But are these artifacts really ‘returning’ to the people of the Ashanti kingdom? How can something be loaned to its original owners? I wouldn’t call this a return. Probably, the most suitable title for this article is “Looted Ashanti Artifacts Pay Ghana a Visit”. Because that best describes the situation. The Ashanti people are being loaned their ancestral ornaments for just six years, because of the laws of the National Heritage Act of 1983.
The Act prevents the board of the Victoria and Albert Museum from legally returning the artifacts permanently. It is evident that the UK laws on artifacts are extremely unfair since a disposal could be made only by way of sales or exchange. Imagine a thief asking you to pay for a stolen object that rightfully belongs to you. Doesn’t it sound absurd?
The first batch of the artifacts arrived at the Manhyia Palace on February 5, 2024 and most Ghanaians are already anticipating the display on February 8. In the Asante Royal Regalia is embedded not just material value but spirits of the former Asante kings. For many, this presents a great opportunity for them to see the pride of the Ashanti kingdom.
Could it be that the ‘return’ of the artifacts is a step towards bridging the gap between the perception still held by Africans about colonization? Is this for reparative justice for the colonial past? Or are the British trying to tackle their painful past because the Anglo-Asante wars still stand as the most infamous incident in the history of British colonial plunder?
Source: Adoanews.com
