New French Bill Aims to Ease Repatriation of Looted African Art

A bill to make it easier for France to return cultural objects taken during the colonial period was presented at a ministerial council in Paris by Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Despite a pledge by President Emmanuel Macron in Burkina Faso in 2017 and follow-up reports, only a small number of items have been returned so far.

The new bill would allow artefacts to be given back by government decree, without needing a full vote in Parliament each time. It would apply to objects taken from their countries of origin under conditions described as “illicit”. France has returned only 27 works to African nations in the past six years.

The proposed law, set to be debated in September, would allow the return of objects deemed looted, acquired between 1815 and 1972, through a government decree rather than a full parliamentary vote.  At least 10 countries have filed official requests for thousands of other items, including Algeria, Madagascar and Côte d’Ivoire.