Two fragments of sacred stones, carried away by Finnish missionaries during the German colonial period, were returned to the authorities of Namibia, the media has reported.
The stones were stolen from Ondonga, a traditional kingdom of the Ovambo people, located in the north of modern-day Namibia.
The official handover ceremony was conducted by the Finnish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jukka Salovaara, who presented the fragments to Namibia’s Education, Arts and Culture Minister, Anna Nghipondoka.
According to media reports, the fragments will be kept at the National Museum of Namibia until they are eventually returned to the rightful owner - the Ondonga traditional community. The ruler of the Ondonga Kingdom, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, was also present at the repatriation ceremony, as well as the countries' presidents and other top officials.
In recent years, African nations have resumed their call for repatriation of cultural objects and artifacts stolen from the continent during the colonial period. Even though Finland wasn't a colonial power, several African art objects ended up in the country's museums.
In 1886, the Finnish missionary Martti Rautanen was on a research trip in Namibia along with Hans Schinz, a geologist from Switzerland. The travellers encountered a ritual power stone in Ondonga, which it was forbidden to touch, according to the kingdom's law. However, the Europeans removed fragments of the stone as they wanted to discover whether it was a meteorite.
The missionaries were eventually charged with a crime against the state and had to pay fines. But the fragments remained in the possession of Rautanen, and were later passed to the National Museum of Finland.
"Martti Rautanen's act must be considered a violation of the values and norms of the Kingdom of Ondonga and therefore unethical," said Elina Anttila, Director General of the National Museum of Finland, who signed the official documents for handing over the stones.
The Finnish President, who is now on a state visit to Namibia, noted that the Ondonga power stone is not only valuable to the community, but is also an essential part of its identity and heritage.