The restitution ceremony took place last Saturday at the Salomon Tandeng Muna Foundation in Yaoundé.

They were stolen from the Libialem people in the South West region more than 100 years ago. And today, these eight traditional artefacts have been returned to their rightful owners. This is thanks to the efforts of a non-governmental organisation called Regartless. An NGO that promotes innovative and creative solutions to global problems at the local level.

The restitution ceremony was held at the Salomon Tandeng Muna Foundation last March 30. Speaking at the ceremony, Barrister Akere Muna said, “The restitution of these eight pieces is a step in the right direction towards reclaiming our cultural identity. Let’s celebrate this victory as we continue to fight for the return of all our stolen treasures.” He also took the opportunity to deplore the fact that many of Africa’s stolen traditional artefacts are display in the Western world: “what truly perplexes me is how these handlers of stolen goods can shamelessly exhibit our precious artifacts without any guilt,”.

Also present at the restitution ceremony was the Fon of Fontem.