Moved, the Beninese celebrate the return to Cotonou of the 26 treasures looted by France

Published on : 11/10/2021 – 18:09

“I came to convince myself that these works have really returned to the country. I am moved to tears”. Ousmane Agbegbindin, a 45-year-old Beninese, traveled to the vicinity of Cotonou airport to welcome the 26 works from the royal treasures of Abomey back in Benin.

Like him, hundreds of Beninese thronged, Wednesday, November 10, on the sidewalks, along the road that separates the airport from the presidency, where the works will be transported by truck and where a ceremony is scheduled to pay tribute. to these objects, some of which are sacred.

These 26 works of art, looted by French colonial troops in the 19th century^e century, were returned Tuesday by Paris. The plane carrying these treasures landed around 3:15 p.m. local time (2:15 p.m. GMT). Several members of the Beninese government were present for the unloading of the boxes transporting these works.

Sacred objects

“There are moments in the history of a nation that change the course of things. This moment that we live, it is a moment which will remain engraved, it is an important moment”, declared on the tarmac Foreign Minister Aurélien Agbénonci.

“It is true that we cannot see the objects, but the mere fact of knowing that the thrones of our ancestors, their shoes, racks and other objects are in these trucks has an effect on me that I cannot describe to you” , loose Ousmane Agbegbindin, his cheeks wet with tears.

Same emotion for Martine Vignon Agoli-Agbo, who lives in northern Benin and who has traveled more than 500 kilometers with her two daughters to attend this historic moment. “We have been in Cotonou for 24 hours, just to experience the spectacle of the arrival of these treasures. It’s so moving,” she told AFP.

Two months of “acclimatization” to the new weather conditions

The day before in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron had received his Beninese counterpart Patrice Talon to finalize the restitution of these 26 treasures preserved so far at the Parisian museum of Quai Branly, and which therefore joined Benin on Wednesday.

Among these works are totem statues from the ancient kingdom of Abomey as well as the throne of King Béhanzin, looted during the sacking of the Abomey Palace by French colonial troops in 1892.

This solemn ceremony in Benin marks the last stage of an unprecedented process initiated with the promise made in 2017 by Emmanuel Macron to proceed with restitutions of African heritage in France.

The works will be subjected to two months of “acclimatization” to the new climate and humidity conditions, before being exhibited for three months at the Beninese presidency.

With AFP