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French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France will return 26 artworks taken from the west African state of Benin in the colonial era.<\/p>\n
His announcement follows an experts\u2019 report recommending that African treasures in French museums be returned to their countries of origin.<\/p>\n
The 26 thrones and statues were taken in 1892 during a colonial war against the then Kingdom of Dahomey.<\/p>\n
They are currently on display in the Quai Branly museum in Paris.<\/p>\n
Benin officially asked for their return some years ago. President Macron said the statues would be returned \u201cwithout delay\u201d.<\/p>\n
His office said the return of art to Benin should not be an isolated case.<\/p>\n
The president \u201chopes that all possible circulation of these works is considered: returns but also exhibitions, loans, further cooperation\u201d, the Elysee palace said.<\/p>\n
A panel of experts, commissioned by the president to study the issue of African artworks in French museums, presented their findings to him on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ousmane Aledji, director of the Benin cultural centre Artisttik Africa, told the AFP news agency he was pleased to see \u201ca new form of cultural exchange\u201d with France.<\/p>\n
During colonial rule in Africa, thousands of cultural artefacts were seized from the continent by Western countries.<\/p>\n
The official report states that most of the Africa collection in the Quai Branly museum \u2013 approximately 46,000 pieces \u2013 was acquired with some degree of duress.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s announcement comes as major museums across Europe have agreed to lend key artefacts back to Nigeria.<\/p>\n
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