Belgian Museum Plans Restitution of African Objects

The Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium is grappling with its colonial past, particularly regarding its collection of 40,000 objects obtained through violence during its colonization of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. A significant example is a necklace from central Africa, once belonging to Yakaumbu Kamanda Lumpungu, a proponent of Congolese independence who was executed by the colonial administration in 1936 on charges of a double murder. The museum, rebranded as AfricaMuseum in 2018, aims to return many of these artifacts to their countries of origin. However, the process has proven complex and lengthy. Among other things, restitution of these items is complicated by poor documentation and with concerns over how returned items will be managed by recipient governments.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN