Loaning Looted Artefacts is not Restitution; Otumfuo to UK

The King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has mounted a strong advocacy for African countries and victims of British colonial era loot, noting their loan agreement is inconsequential.

Though he said it offers some level of consolation, it does not constitute restitution as prioritized by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Addressing an audience at the British Museum on Friday, July 19, 2024, after recently taking delivery of 32 of such artefacts stolen from his people by the British some 150 years ago, Otumfuo outlined the global admission of the fact that the loot was illegal.

He ran through the “silent diplomacy” he used in reaching an agreement for the loaning of the treasures.

“When we seriously engaged with the two museums, I set my team a target to make sure my people would see stolen ornaments back in Kumasi for the Silver Jubilee of my reign. I’m proud we achieved this and a number of our ornaments are now resting within the Palace where they were forcefully extracted.”

According to him, this is not enough and therefore called for trust and sincerity of purpose to navigate the maze for mutual satisfaction.

He intends to continue pushing for a better agreement that will see the soul of his Kingdom breaking through the impediments to return home.

“Even so, we cannot pretend that the agreement we have offers the solution to restitution. What it does is to acknowledge the impediments in the path, not in order to submit to it but avenues for fruitful engagements while we continue to seek the appropriate rational resolution.”