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France to Fast-Track Return of Artifacts from Benin

Lisa Bryant

   PARIS - Returning African artifacts taken by explorers and colonizers
   remains a hot-button issue in Europe-Africa relations -- one that
   gained traction last November when French President Emmanuel Macron
   announced the return of 26 historic artifacts to Benin.

   On Thursday, French Culture Minister Franck Riester said Paris will go
   ahead with the restitution without waiting for a new law to enshrine
   it. He said France will consider similar demands from other countries.

   Europe is believed to house about 90 percent of Africa's cultural
   heritage. Benin was the first country to formally ask France to give
   back the artifacts.

   Jose Pliya, who heads Benin's National Heritage and Tourism Development
   Agency, NAPT, welcomes their pending return -- though he says Benin now
   has to find a place to put them.

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