President John Dramani Mahama has called for the immediate and unconditional return of African human remains held by museums and institutions outside the continent.
He made the call during a high-level side event on the return and restitution of cultural properties and heritage on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
President Mahama argued that human remains should not be treated as museum artefacts or scientific specimens, describing their continued retention outside Africa as an issue of human dignity.
He cited the case of King Badu Bonsu II of Ahanta, who was executed by Dutch authorities in 1838 following his resistance to colonial rule.
According to President Mahama, the king’s head was taken to the Netherlands and preserved in a jar of formaldehyde for about 170 years before it was eventually returned to Ghana in 2009.
“Human remains are not collectibles. They are not specimens. They are our ancestors,” he said.
The President said the return of human remains should be an immediate priority in efforts to establish a broader international framework for restitution.
He further argued that legal and administrative obstacles should not stand in the way of African countries seeking the return of the remains of their ancestors.
President Mahama also called for international mechanisms that would make the restitution of African cultural heritage more structured and predictable, rather than dependent on individual decisions by institutions or countries holding such items.
By:Rachael Djabakie