Manhyia Museum Partners Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund to Demand Outstanding Asante Artefacts
The Manhyia Palace Museum has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) following the restitution of some Asante Artefacts from South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The short ceremony took place at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi on March 25, 2025, and was led by the Director of the Museum, Dr Ivor Agyeman-Duah and MacArthur Senior Program Officer, Yvonne Darkwah Poku.
As part of the agreement, the two will collaboratively mount a “tireless” advocacy for the return of all remaining artefacts across the world; sensitise the public about the artefacts; and memorialise the restitution of Asantema’s cultural heritage and cultural property.
Inspiration
Speaking at the event, Yvonne said she was inspired by Mr Agyeman Duah’s tireless efforts to take back what belonged to Asantes from the British.
“It triggered something in me. I guess my ancestors were calling that we should not leave it to what we have been able to recoup but tirelessly advocate to get all of it back if we can.”
She took the first step of engaging her Executive Council members to partner with Manhyia Palace for education, memorialisation and advocacy campaigns.
She explained, “First to educate people about the ones that have been returned. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know what they are, their cultural significance, or what they look like, to create a repository of what we have and what we have outstanding from wherever it is in the world and then to include or elevate the restitution of cultural property in this reparation justice movement.”
Pride
As a direct descendant of Nana Yaa Asantewaa of Ejisu, she said she was overjoyed to have successfully negotiated a partnership with the Museum.
“I sit here proudly as a daughter of Asanteland and a direct descendant of Nana Yaa Asantewaa… It gives me so much pride to be sitting here today as a daughter of this soil to be involved in this work.”
For his part, Dr Agyeman-Duah said the agreement marks a significant milestone, building on the hard-won successes of Asanteman’s long-standing campaign to reclaim its priceless cultural regalia of antiquity.
“We’ve been negotiating for these objects since half a century ago. But luckily last year, we were able to make a breakthrough, and the objects are here at the Museum. It was in the light of this, that we got motivated by Justice and Repair. It is in the light of these that we agreed to go further than just the objects coming home but what we can do about others whether we are talking about restitution or reparation.”
Among the delegation that accompanied Yvonne were Mr Kim Harold, Emmanuel Ayola, Andreas Robinson, Kimberly Collins, Nana Sarpong, Michael Harvey and Godfery Adongo.
Restitution
In February 2024, the Asante Kingdom took delivery of some seven artefacts from the Fowler Museum in the US.
It was followed by the delivery of 32 artefacts loaned by the looter after 150 years four months later.
In November, it again received 28 gold artefacts from multinational firm AngloGold Ashanti bringing the total number of restituted Asante artefacts from the British loot in the 1900s to 67.
About ATJLF
Established in 2019, the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund is a response to the growing desire for African solutions to African problems rooted in shared experiences. The Fund is part of a larger continental support strategy by the MacArthur Foundation and WellSpring Philanthropic Fund to promote African-led transitional justice efforts in the region.
Following the adoption of the AU Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) in 2019, the Fund was established to ensure that the Policy achieves its objectives of putting African communities and countries on the path to sustainable peace, justice, reconciliation, social cohesion, and healing after experiencing mass atrocities.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
