Restitution of African works of art: in France, the blockages persist
Audio 04:12
Statuettes from Benin (16th and 17th century), exhibited at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, October 2, 2007. AFP - OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI
Text by: Pierre Firtion Follow
12 mins
How did European countries tackle this issue of the restitution of African works of art?
Who are those who will return goods?
Those who are still studying the project?
Last stop of our tour of Europe in France.
In 2017 in Ouagadougou, Emmanuel Macron pledged to make temporary or permanent restitution of African heritage in Africa possible within five years.
Results three and a half years later: France has presented two works, one in Senegal, the other in Madagascar, and is in the process of returning 26 others to Benin.
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A law was
passed last December
to allow these restitutions in Benin and Senegal.
The sword known as El Hadj Omar Tall, founder of the Toucouleur empire, had already been returned in the form of a loan to the Senegalese authorities in November 2019. The handing over of the works in Benin is scheduled for the fall, without doubt at the end of October.
This will be a defining moment: Paris will give Cotonou 26 works from the treasury of King Béhanzin, looted in 1892 by General Dodds during the sack of the Abomey Palace.
Among these works returned: anthropomorphic royal statues, recades, thrones or doors of the royal palace of Abomey.
This restitution is an important gesture in the eyes of Marie-Cécile Zinsou, art historian and president of the Zinsou foundation in Benin.
“
It’s really very important as a law because it’s a first,
” she insists.
Since 1960, African states have been asking for the return of pieces of their heritage that were looted during colonization.
And this is the first time that this has been made possible.
"
Delivery to Madagascar disputed by senators
These renditions sparked almost no debate in France. In appearance, at least. The law was passed almost unanimously by the deputies. Of course, the senators did not vote for the text, but it was not so much to oppose these restitution of works in Benin and Senegal as to protest against the handing over to Madagascar of the
crown adorning the royal canopy of the queen Ranavalona III
. Last November, Paris indeed initiated a process of returning this work to Antananarivo.
First step, the deposit before the vote of a specific law.
However, this delivery in Madagascar occurred in the midst of a debate in the Senate on the bill for the restitution of works of art in Benin and Senegal.
Exhausted at not having been consulted, the senators then proposed to create a structure responsible for "
better scientifically framing
" the returns.
What the government refused.
Consequence: the Senate did not want to vote on the bill presented by the executive.
►
To read also: Restitution of African works of art: the embarrassing British heritage
The subject worries the right, little support in the government
The question therefore remains sensitive in France.
This is undoubtedly the reason why the government will not carry out other refunds by the end of the five-year term, despite the fact that several countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Ethiopia have formulated requests.
The subject worries the right.
One of his fears is to see French museums empty.
Even within government, the idea of initiating a process of restitution of African heritage did not seem to attract support.
The project was not supported and even less defended by the former Minister of Culture Franck Riester.
A project that even came up against part of the French administration, which gave the impression of doing everything to slow down its implementation.
Beyond these blockages, the real problem for lawyer Corinne Hershkovitch, specialist in restitution of works of art, is that no substantive strategy has been developed by the French authorities.
►
To listen: Restitution of African heritage: "We need bilateral cultural cooperation agreements"
"
Not possible to return these objects without downgrading them
"
“
No process has been put in place,
” she regrets.
The 26 objects which are promised in Benin, it is France which chose these objects. There was no bilateral procedure between France and Benin. And then, it took a law. And why did it take a law? Because we are still in a deadlock which is due to the fact that all cultural goods entered into national collections are inalienable in an imprescriptible manner. So it is not possible to return these objects without downgrading them. And as today, there is no decommissioning procedure, we need a law. So there too, we have not put in place a process that would make it possible to find criteria, modalities of restitution. So, I would say that since the Ouagadougou speech, we haven'thas not really advanced.
"
The government did not keep the idea formulated by Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr to modify the heritage code.
He also did not follow the chronogram of restitutions proposed by the two academics in the report that the French president had ordered from them.
As a result, France, unlike other European countries, gives the impression of having somewhat relegated this issue of restitution to the background.
Funny paradox: it is however Emmanuel Macron who opened the reflection on the subject with his
speech in Ouagadougou
in November 2017.
►
To read also: Restitution of African works of art: the new rules of Belgium
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