A new bill enables the French government to accelerate the return of African heritage artifacts without needing parliamentary approval, though former colonies may still face bureaucratic delays.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati introduced the proposal to the French cabinet on Wednesday, advancing a pledge made in 2017 by President Emmanuel Macron to repatriate looted African treasures.
The legislation is designed to streamline the process of returning cultural items that were taken illegally, whether stolen, looted, or forcibly removed, between 1815 and 1972, during France’s colonial rule.
“The text I presented this morning to the Council of Ministers is a powerful act and a powerful ambition! For peace, for the recognition of memories, and for the renewal of our relations with countries that were wronged,” Dati wrote in a statement on X.
