France returns prehistoric artifacts to Ethiopia in 'diplomatic handover'

France has returned three ancient artefacts to Ethiopia, dating back between one and two million years. 

The items, which include two prehistoric stone axes and a stone cutter, were handed over by French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Ethiopia’s tourism minister Selamawit Kassa in a symbolic ceremony at the National Museum of Ethiopia last week.

The three artefacts were part of a collection of around 3,500 items stored at the French embassy in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, though it’s not known if other artefacts are due to be returned to the Ethiopian government.

Laurent Serrano, cultural advisor at the French embassy in Ethiopia, told Arab News that the move was “a handover, not a restitution, in that these objects have never been part of French public collections”.

“These artifacts, which date back between 1 and 2 million years, were found during excavations carried out over several decades at a site near the Ethiopian capital,” Serrano explained.

Barrot also unveiled a €7 million initiative called "Sustainable Heritage in Ethiopia," aimed at preserving and restoring Ethiopia’s historic sites. One of the prominent projects includes the renovation of 12th- and 13th-century cave churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which came under the control of rebel forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray region in 2021.

On the wider question of restitution, however, frustration remains. Despite French President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 announcement to return African heritage to the continent, according to ARTnews, there has been growing exasperation over the lack of progress in the years since. A date has yet to be set for the debate of a bill addressing the return of colonial-era artefacts in the French National Assembly.