Jackline Nyiracyiza Besigye, Principal Conservator at Uganda’s National Museum, shared her insights with Sputnik Africa, offering a Ugandan perspective on the complex issue of restoring looted African cultural heritage. She argued that the loss represents not only a theft of tangible objects but also a disruption of cultural and spiritual connections.
"During that time, that's where we have most of the cultural heritage; I would say both cultural and partly maybe the geological samples, all the minerals and natural [resources] are being taken," Besigye told Sputnik Africa.
She argued that these actions were not simply acts of economic exploitation but deliberate attempts to undermine African culture and spiritual power.
"I wouldn’t say that they were taken for business," Besigye stated. "No, they were taken probably to devalue the heritage of these countries and, in particular, Uganda, to devalue, I mean, to weaken the African culture heritage, or maybe the spiritual powers that these heritage objects or artifacts had at that time."
Besigye highlighted the communication barriers that existed during the colonial era. According to her, this casts doubt on the legitimacy of many acquisitions by colonial powers, suggesting that many objects were taken without the informed consent of their rightful owners.