The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than 3,000 brass plaques and sculptures dating mainly to the 16th and 17th century. In 1897, they were looted by British troops from the Benin Kingdom (in present-day Edo State, Nigeria).
On 14 April, politicians in Glasgow City Council in Scotland voted to return 17 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The council also voted to return 25 artefacts to the Lakota people (Native Americans) that were taken during the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, in which soldiers of the United States Army massacred more than 300 Lakota people. Scotland will also return seven artefacts to India, making it the largest ever repatriation agreement approved by a UK institution.
Every year, The Republic publishes the most ambitious writing focused on Africa, from news and analysis to long-form features.
To continue reading this article, Subscribe or Register for a Free Pass.
Already a subscriber? Log in.