Preserving legacies: Nations work to bring home stolen artefacts
AS the ascension of King Charles III reignites the debate about colonial injustices in African countries, a recent declaration adopted at a trans-continental museum conference in Dakar in 2023 offers a ray of hope for the restitution of African artefacts. Sixty museum directors from 38 countries - including 28 African and 10 European nations - meeting in Dakar in late April, issued a declaration to foster restitution, digitization of collections, research, education, and exhibitions. A 2019 UNESCO report estimated between 80% and 90% of all artefacts from the continent are in Europe. Further, a 2020 study by the Archaeological Institute…