Cultural plunder has consequences far beyond the crime itself.

When heritage is looted, entire communities lose access to entire chapters of their history. Even when artifacts are returned, the question remains: How do we return heritage—responsibly?

Statues from the Royal Palaces of Abomey. Musée du Quai Branly, 2018. Image by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra.

Dahomey, a 2024 documentary film directed by Mati Diop, traces the journey of 26 royal treasures from the Quai Branly in Paris back to the Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern-day Republic of Benin.

Publicly accessible and critically acclaimed, this film is attracting significant attention to the heritage field. Dahomey has been named “Best Film” at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Mati Diop’s telling of the Benin repatriation is both poignant and pragmatic, documenting the often-overlooked practicalities of repatriation: from tediously inventorying and packing objects to hauling them up museum steps for reinstallation. Following a detailed portrayal of the artifacts’ journey to the brand-new Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Diop turns the microphone on Benin’s youth. Students at Benin’s University of Abomey-Calavi are shown engaging in nuanced debates about the implications of this repatriation—from political motives and economic limitations to the return’s postcolonial underpinnings. 

With Dahomey, Mati Diop concisely captures the key issues of cultural repatriation and communicates the enduring harms of colonialism and cultural plunder. 

Find out more about the film here.

Dr. Leslye Obiora seeks solutions to improve cultural repatriation to Africa in the AC Think Tank piece, “How Can the Protection of Cultural Property be Strengthened in Africa?” Read it here. 

The Antiquities Coalition Think Tank has released a new commentary titled “How Can the Protection of Cultural Property be Strengthened in Africa?”

Author Dr. Leslye Obiora, Professor of Law and former Minister of Mining and Steel Development for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, explores the importance of engaging traditional authorities in cultural property discussions and policy-making.

Dr. Obiora highlights Nigeria’s recent decision to grant ownership of the returned Benin Bronzes to the Oba as a powerful example of how involving local leadership can improve cultural property protection. Nigeria, like many African countries, faces unique post-colonial challenges that are often overlooked by Western legal frameworks.

In light of these oversights, Dr. Obiora evaluates the extent to which legal protections—such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention—to prevent the illicit transfer of cultural property accommodate local customs and authority structures. 

Her findings provide insights into the critical role traditional authorities could play in ensuring global efforts to safeguard Africa’s cultural heritage from cultural plunder are well-informed and just. 

Read and download Dr. Obiora’s AC Think Tank commentary here.

Browse all AC Think Tank publications here.

Following years of conflict in Sudan, the dust is finally settling in its capital city of Khartoum—revealing evidence of mass-looting, ravaged museums, and empty historical archives.

Despite herculean efforts on the ground, Sudan’s people continue to suffer one of the greatest cultural crises in recent history. Is it time to take a step back and reevaluate our international framework for heritage protection?

Read our recent LinkedIn article featuring a collaboration between one of Sudan’s most dedicated heritage professionals, Ali Nour, and AC Director of Programs Helena Arose, here and below, and follow the AC for more.