The French Ministry of Culture announced on 26/8 the return of three Sakalava skulls to Madagascar, which gained independence from France in 1960. The Sakalava kingdom in western Madagascar was conquered and became a French colony in the 1890s.
One skull is believed to be that of King Toera, who was killed by French troops in 1897 during an attack on the Sakalava kingdom of Menabe. French soldiers then beheaded King Toera and transported his skull to Paris. It has been kept at the French National Museum of Natural History for almost 130 years.
The other two skulls are those of generals who fought alongside the king. Madagascar’s Ministry of Communication and Culture announced on 26/8 that the “heroes” had returned.
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The three skulls are returned to Madagascar at the French Ministry of Culture headquarters in Paris on 26/8. Photo: AFP |
The three skulls are returned to Madagascar at the French Ministry of Culture headquarters in Paris on 26/8. Photo: AFP
The repatriation of the skulls to Madagascar, an island nation off the southeast coast of Africa, marks the first time France has implemented a 2023 law allowing the return of human remains to a country for burial.
“I welcome the return of these three skulls, including that of King Toera of the Sakalava ethnic group, which makes up almost one-third of Madagascar's population”, said Fetra Rakotondrasoava on 27/8. Rakotondrasoava is the Permanent Secretary of the Malagasy Ministry of Culture and co-chair of the Madagascar-France Committee of Researchers working on the identification of the skulls.
He added, “In addition to the repatriation of the remains, this event also marks the return of a part of our history and memory. Now, we will be able to honor these remains in a dignified manner. This moment is significant for the people of Madagascar and all countries involved in the recovery of their heritage.”
Madagascar's Minister of Communication and Culture, Volamiranty Donna Mara, said the remains were “not objects in a collection” but an “invisible and indelible” link connecting the present to their past.
She continued, “It’s a wound that has not been able to heal in Madagascar for 128 years, especially for the Sakalava community”, noting the skulls will be buried in Menabe, in the west of the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2017 that “within the next 5 years,” France would work with African countries to return cultural heritage to the continent.
Hong Hanh (According to CNN)
