On Friday, Ethiopian state-affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported that British museums handed over a large number of looted artifacts to the Ethiopian Embassy in London.
According to the report, the various artifacts, which include Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) tablets, a lock of hair of an Ethiopian prince, three cups made of silver and a shield, were handed over in a ceremony to Ethiopian Ambassador to Britain Teferi Melese on Thursday evening.
The artifacts are expected to be returned to Ethiopia in the coming days.
Furthermore, the report also stated that the ceremony was attended by EOTC representatives, members of the British parliament, and the Ethiopia National Heritage Restitution Committee (ENHRC); established under the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism in November 2020, the ENHRC aims to restore the looted, stolen and illegally exported heritages.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Teferi underlined that the returned artifacts and sacred religious artefacts are of great importance to the Church, history and cultural development of the Ethiopian people.
various artifacts, that were looted by British empire from Meqdela in 1868 during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II were returned to Ethiopia. pic.twitter.com/BpiOVaYrZ6
— GNN Somali TV (@GeeskaNews)
September 22, 2023
Professor Alula Pankhurst, a member of Ethiopia’s National Heritage Restitution Committe, said that the conditions for repatriation of artifacts should be strengthened.
He also pointed out that the handover is an appropriate act and called on the British museums to return the looted artifacts from Ethiopia to the rightful owners, the Ethiopian people.
Official data shows that a British expeditionary force that fought and defeated Emperor Tewodros II, an Ethiopian king, in 1868, looted a large number of artifacts in the aftermath of the battle.
The Ethiopian government has been lobbying with some success for decades for the return of the looted artifacts which are stored in various British museums.
