The Prime Minister of the State of the African Diaspora has been invited to Benin by President Patrice Talon for the inauguration of an exhibition linking the treasures of the past with the works of art of the present.
For more than a hundred years, these cultural goods that had been stolen and looted in the colonial context had been illegally detained by France. It was the treasure of Abomey, and in particular the throne of King Ghézo, the throne of King Glèlè, the recades, the royal statues and the sacred doors of the palace.
As you may recall, a few years ago, Dr. Louis-Georges Tin launched the campaign for the return of these treasures. He had pressured France, threatening the government with a resounding legal action, and under pressure, Mr. Macron had finally accepted this request. That is why the Prime Minister of the State of the African Diaspora was invited to Benin on November 10, 2021, when the treasures arrived in Cotonou. But they were still in boxes.
A few months later, the Abomey treasure was presented to the people of Benin: in 40 days, about 200,000 people came to admire the ancestral heritage, which is a historical record in Benin. And in July, for the attention of the Diaspora returning on vacation, another exhibition was organized, gathering both the treasures of the past and contemporary works. Therefore, the Prime Minister of SOAD was again invited to see the treasures now on display in the Land of Africa.
Dr. Louis-Georges Tin said:
“The campaign that we led with President Talon, not without success, is not a restitution, it is a reconquest. I have seen these treasures many times in Paris, with anger and frustration. I now see them again in Benin, with joy and pride. They are transfigured in my eyes. After the Reconquest, it is the Revelation. Our treasures are revealed to themselves, to Africa and to the world. It is our sovereignty that is thus restored. All those who plundered Africa yesterday, and who continue to do so today, now know that we will pursue them relentlessly, until victory is achieved.”
Source:SOAD
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