Macron says return of African artworks ‘unstoppable’ after new law

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the process of returning African artworks looted during the colonial era had become “unstoppable”.

He was speaking at a two-day economic summit in Nairobi, Kenya, just days after the French parliament unanimously passed a law paving the way for Macron to return looted African cultural artefacts.

France holds tens of thousands of artworks and other prized artefacts that it looted from the continent during its colonial empire.

Macron pledged to young Africans, during a speech in Burkina Faso in 2017, to facilitate the return of the stolen works within five years.

“I believe we have built something irreversible and unstoppable,” Macron said on Monday.

He criticised opponents of the law, insisting it was “about repentance”.

“Even if someone came to power in France who wanted to roll back restitutions, I don’t think they would succeed… not even all those who are stirring up ill winds and want to retreat into themselves,” he added.

Other former colonial powers in Europe have slowly moved to return artworks acquired during imperial rule but France has been hindered by legislation requiring each item to be approved through a separate vote.

Despite a growing number of restitution requests, France has returned only a handful of artefacts to its colonies.

The law approved last week allows the government in Paris to return works of art without having to resort to passing piecemeal legislation.

In 2025, France’s parliament approved the return to Ivory Coast of a talking drum that colonial troops took from the Ebrie tribe in 1916. It was returned in March.

“This is the beginning of an exchange,” Macron said.

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