France has reportedly returned a sword to Senegal that belonged to a 19th-century Islamic scholar and ruler, reported BBC. The step is in line with the French government’s commitment to return artifacts stolen during colonial times.
The French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe handed over the brass and wood sword to Senegal’s President Macky Sall in a ceremony in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, on Sunday.
The sword originally belonged to Omar Saidou Tall, a west African ruler who led an anti-colonial struggle against the French in the 1850s. He fought with the French troops from 1857 to 1859 before signing a peace treaty with them in 1860.
According to French historian, Jean Suret-Canele, Saidou Tall died from a gunpowder explosion in 1864. His son Ahmadou (1836-1897) succeeded him and was defeated by the French in April 1893 in Bandiagara. After Ahmadou’s death, the French seized the sword and some books belonging to Tall.
“This is a historic day,” Sall said.
Prime Minister Philippe said handing over the sword to Senegal was the first step in a project aimed at returning more artifacts that in French museums, which have at least 90,000 artifacts from sub-Saharan Africa.
Last year in November, a report commissioned by the French President, Emmanuel Macron recommended that art looted from sub-Saharan Africa during the colonial era should be returned through permanent restitution.
According to the report, French museums house at least 90,000 pieces originally from sub-Saharan Africa with at least 70,000 works in Paris’ Quai Branly museum alone.
Several European countries are now returning stolen artifacts to their original countries amid mounting pressure from African governments.
In May, Germany announced that it would return a 15th Century high navigation landmark it took from Nambia known as the Stone Cross. The British Museum in London also struck a deal with Nigeria in 2018, where it agreed to return Benin Bronzes looted by British soldiers to Nigeria.
