France Enacts Landmark Law to Return Colonial-Era African Artefacts

By JarranewsTV Staff Reporter

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially signed into law new legislation designed to accelerate the return of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin, marking what many observers describe as a major milestone in Africa’s long-running campaign for the restitution of its heritage.
Speaking during a two-day economic summit in Nairobi, President Macron said the move represented an “irreversible and unstoppable” step toward addressing historical injustices linked to colonialism.
The French leader dismissed criticism surrounding the law, arguing that the initiative was not about “repentance” but rather about building a new relationship between France and African nations based on mutual respect and historical recognition.
France currently possesses tens of thousands of artworks, sacred objects, and historical artefacts acquired during its colonial expansion across Africa and other regions. The newly enacted legislation follows overwhelming approval by both chambers of the French parliament and fulfils a pledge Macron made during a landmark speech in 2017 in Ouagadougou, where he promised to facilitate the return of African cultural treasures.
French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard described the decision as a “historic moment,” saying it signals France’s determination to open a new chapter in its relationship with former colonies.

Senator Catherine Morin-Desailly, one of the leading advocates of the legislation, said the law would help transform painful historical memories into opportunities for renewed cooperation and dialogue between nations.
Under previous French laws, each item held in the national collection required separate parliamentary approval before it could be returned, a process widely criticised as slow and cumbersome. The new legislation removes that barrier by allowing the French government to repatriate qualifying artefacts without the need for individual laws for every object.
The legislation specifically applies to cultural assets obtained between 1815 and 1972 and is expected to trigger a surge in restitution claims from African countries, including Algeria, Mali, and Benin.
France has already begun returning some contested artefacts. In 2025, the French parliament approved the return of a historic “talking drum” taken in 1916 from the Ebrie community in Ivory Coast during the colonial period. The artefact was officially repatriated earlier this year.
The latest reform also follows earlier French measures adopted in 2023, which created legal pathways for the return of property looted from Jewish families during World War II and for the repatriation of human remains held in public collections.
The law is being viewed as part of a broader global push for former colonial powers to confront historical injustices and return cultural heritage to the communities from which it was taken.