Mahama cites return of Mpomponsuo sword as model for restitution

President John Dramani Mahama emphasized the significance of returning the sacred Mpomponsuo sword to Ghana, using it as a model for restoring African cultural heritage to its rightful communities. In a high-level UN General Assembly event, he recounted the British forces' destruction and looting of Kumasi in 1874. Mahama stated that the 2024 return of a portion of Asante heritage showcased that restitution could reconnect historical objects with living traditions.

He stressed that the Mpomponsuo sword, beyond being a historical artifact, remained connected to an active traditional institution and community. "Its return reminded us that these are not mere relics of a bygone era. They belong to living traditions, active institutions, and communities that are still here," he remarked. President Mahama argued that restitution should encompass not only the physical return of objects but also the restoration of their cultural significance and relationship with the societies that created them.

He urged the international community to establish systems that would facilitate easier, faster, and more transparent returns of such artifacts.