Mahama urges Netherlands, Germany and France to deepen restitution efforts
President John Dramani Mahama has acknowledged steps taken by European countries towards the return of African cultural heritage but urged the international community to move beyond individual acts of restitution.
President John Dramani Mahama has commended European nations' efforts to repatriate African cultural heritage, yet implored the global community to extend beyond sporadic acts of restitution. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly side event, Mahama expressed gratitude to the Netherlands for cataloguing 2,000 Ghanaian artifacts for potential return, Germany for its involvement with Ghana's Kpando region, and France for legislative work aimed at restitution, citing the Djidji Ayokwe talking drum's return to Côte d'Ivoire as a notable milestone.
Despite acknowledging these advancements, Mahama emphasized the necessity of a more comprehensive international framework. "We are grateful to the Netherlands for cataloguing 2,000 Ghanaian artefacts for return," he stated, cautioning that "moral justice cannot depend on sporadic benevolence or isolated acts of goodwill." He advocated for standardized procedures to streamline provenance research, negotiations, and restitution processes.
Mahama concluded that the ultimate goal should be an international framework that transforms the return of African cultural property into a predictable, routine affair rather than an extraordinary occurrence.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
