Otumfuo is an Agent of Reconciliation Internationally- V&A Museum Director

Apart from being widely known as an agent of peace and unity in his country, the Director of Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum, Dr Tristram Hunt, says the 16th Monarch of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has distinguished himself as an agent of healing and reconciliation between Africans and their former colonial masters.

He recognizes that the King has dedicated his reign for the past 25 years to peace as well as healing Africans in the diaspora and the continent who still bear the scars of the ravages of colonialism and the slave trade.

“It is no surprise that Your Majesty, an agent of peace and unity in Ghana, has also been a leader for healing and reconciliation internationally.”

He made the statement while addressing the audience at the event dubbed, “Homecoming, Adversity and Commemoration”, to mark the return of some Asante crafts looted from the Palace of an Asante King, on May 1, 2024.

Dr Hunt in his speech acknowledged the sentiments surrounding the objects of which 17 came from the V&A Museum saying, “The history tainted by the scars of imperial conflict and colonials. We also recognise the enduring cultural, historical and spiritual significance these artefacts hold for the Asante people.

“It is a true honour and indeed a highlight of the V&A’s history to support this homecoming exhibition to see the Asante crown regalia on display in their homeland. These treasures bear witness to the trial and triumph of a great Kingdom and their return to Kumasi is a testament to the power of cultural exchange and reconciliation.”