The Senegalese government has asked France to return all its artifacts which are currently lying in French museums.
The request comes following a report by experts – commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron – that recommended that African treasures taken without permission be returned to their countries of origin.
Senegal is set to unveil a new Museum of Black Civilisation in the capital Dakar, with the site expected to offer more than 40,000 sq ft of exhibition space.
The BBC news agency reports Senegal’s Culture Minister Abdou Latif Coulibaly to say he welcomed the French report as “every piece from Senegal is in France”.
“We’ve read it and we consider it’s a positive report – it’s legitimate and follows the course of history”.
Coulibaly said the Senegalese government had requested the French administration to return more than 100 artifacts.
Very few countries have put in formal requests for the return of their art, but this could quickly change.
The country with the highest number of art pieces in France is Chad.
For years Dakar has been aiming to position itself as a cultural capital in the region – and now with a president running for re-election, the government is attempting with this museum to make that happen.
The Museum of Black Civilisations was the idea of Senegal’s first President Leopold Sedar Senghor.
More than 50 years later, the project is coming to life, after a $20m Chinese investment.
