Germany has agreed to return artifacts looted during the colonial days from the people of the Akpini Traditional Area of Ghana's Kpando district, German ambassador to the country Daniel Krull told local media.
The German ambassador made this announcement during a conference organized by the Mariam Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa. The conference was dedicated to the issues associated with the return of artifacts taken from indigenous people of the continent to its rightful owners.
In particular, Krull expressed his hope that such a gathering, that brought together archeologists, journalists, and other stakeholders, would come up with the guidelines to repatriate the items from the museum in Berlin to Ghana. The ambassador didn't provide details on the timeline of the restitution, highlighting that the process would depend on the Ghanaian authorities and the traditional leaders of the Akpini people.
It was noted that the state agencies, including the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are working on the issue in cooperation with the Akpini people, as the restitution process will require some traditional rites to be performed before repatriation.
According to scientists, the artifacts had spiritual connections with the people of Akpini. The leaders had asked for their priest to be sent to Berlin to conduct the rites. If returned, the historical items are expected to boost tourism industry in Kpando and thus contribute to the local economy.
In May last year, a delegation led by the Paramount Chief of the Akpini Traditional Area, Okpekpewuokpe Dagadu IX, paid a visit to the German ambassador to Ghana. During the meeting, among other things, the traditional leader requested an update on the status of the request made by his predecessor in 2015 for the restitution of the Akpini royal objects.
Krull, for his part, stated that he would assist in the process of returning all Kpando heritage seized by the Germans back to the Akpini people. The leader also asked for assistance in the establishment of the Akpini Historical Museum and Cultural Centre to feature the returned items.