Activists demand return of stolen artefacts in protest at Africa Museum
Activists from the Debt 4 Climate movement, alongside other groups, staged a surprise protest at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren on Saturday. The action aimed to highlight the museum's collection of stolen artefacts, which serve as difficult reminders of Belgium's colonial past in Congo. The activists are demanding the unconditional return of these objects.
The protest involved placing hundreds of signs on the stolen items within the museum. François Kamate, an environmental and human rights activist from Kivu, was among the participants. He addressed museum visitors, explaining the motivation behind the action. One of the signs read, “This object is a source of financial, symbolic and cultural profit. This profit comes from the theft and monetisation of cultural heritage from Congo. Admit your guilt. Return the stolen objects."
In a press release, Kamate elaborated on the significance of these artefacts, saying, “The artefacts taken from Congo during Belgian colonial rule are more than stolen objects – they are part of a larger cultural debt owed by Belgium to the Congolese people. Their removal has disrupted the cultural continuity and identity of the Congolese people, while Belgium has profited enormously – financially, symbolically and culturally – from exhibiting and preserving them.”
Reparations
Debt 4 Climate advocates for the return of these items to be “unconditional” and to be done in collaboration with civil society in Congo as well as the Congolese diaspora in Belgium. They say that if the Congolese authorities or civil society decide not to request the return of certain objects, Belgium should at least provide financial compensation, “paying rent on the ongoing profits generated by these objects, so that the DRC benefits financially from the heritage that continues to enrich Belgian institutions today.”
The movement views this issue as one of justice. “Reparations for the atrocities of colonialism are not just about righting historical wrongs, but about restoring fundamental human justice. Belgium must make reparations for its past atrocities and return all stolen artworks. This commitment is crucial to building a just and inclusive future,” concludes Debt 4 Climate.
Wooden African statuettes in the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium © PHOTO ARTERRA
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