President Mahama calls for return of African human remains — MyJoyOnline

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, speaking at an event on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States, called for the immediate and unconditional return to Africa of human remains held in museums and other institutions outside the continent. He described their continued retention abroad as a matter of human dignity.

Remains must not be exhibits

As MyJoyOnline reports, Mahama spoke at a high-level event dedicated to the return and restitution of cultural property and heritage. According to him, human remains cannot be treated as museum objects or scientific specimens.

The Ghanaian president stressed that human remains are not collectibles or specimens, but the ancestors of African peoples.

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The example of King Badu Bonsu II

Mahama cited the example of Ahanta King Badu Bonsu II, who was executed by Dutch authorities in 1838 after an uprising against colonial rule. According to the president, the ruler's head was taken to the Netherlands, where it was kept in a jar of formaldehyde for about 170 years.

The head of Badu Bonsu II was returned to Ghana in 2009. Mahama stated that the return of human remains should become an urgent initial step toward a broader international restitution system. He also stressed that legal and administrative barriers should not prevent African countries from returning the remains of their ancestors.