The United Kingdom has returned no fewer than 32 royal artefacts looted from Ghana’s Asante Kingdom after they were taken over 150 years ago.
The artefacts, which are primarily composed of gold and silver items, were taken from the court of the Asante king, Asantehene, during the 19th-century conflicts between the powerful people of Asante and the British.
According to BBC, the items have been sent to Ghana by the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum on a long-term loan of initially three years with the option to renew the loan for another three years.
The artefacts, which are expected to be officially returned to the current King of Asante, King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Friday, will be displayed next month at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi as part of the celebrations to commemorate the silver jubilee of the king.
The loan deal for the return of the artefacts was negotiated with the King of Asante and not the Ghanaian government.
The artefacts, which represent the ultimate symbol of the Asante royal government, include but are not limited to a gold peace pipe, a sword of state, and gold badges.
The loan deal became inevitable as legal restrictions in the UK made it impossible for some national museums in the country to permanently return contested items in their custody.
