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French President Emmanuel Macron says the movement to return African artworks taken during the colonial era has reached a point where it can no longer be stopped.
Speaking on Monday at the Africa Forward Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Macron said France has created what he described as an “irreversible and unstoppable” process for the restitution of cultural artefacts looted from Africa during colonial rule.
“I believe we have built something irreversible and unstoppable,” Macron told delegates at the two-day summit, where discussions have focused on diplomacy, development, trade and Africa-Europe relations.
His remarks came days after the French parliament unanimously passed legislation that will make it easier for France to return looted African cultural objects without requiring a separate parliamentary vote for each item. The move is seen as a major shift in France’s approach to restitution.
France possesses tens of thousands of African artworks, sculptures, royal treasures and ceremonial objects acquired during the colonial period. Calls for their return have intensified over the past decade, with African governments, historians and cultural advocates arguing that many of the artefacts were taken through violence, coercion or military conquest.
Macron first publicly committed to returning African heritage objects in 2017, during a speech in Burkina Faso, where he promised to create the conditions for the return of African artworks within five years.
Addressing criticism from opponents of restitution in France, Macron rejected claims that the process was tied to guilt or political repentance.
“Even if someone came to power in France who wanted to roll back restitutions, I don’t think they would succeed,” he said, adding that some groups were “stirring up ill winds” and attempting to reverse progress.
Although several European countries have started returning colonial-era artefacts, France has faced legal barriers because many objects in national collections are protected under strict heritage laws.
Despite growing restitution requests, only a small number of objects have been returned so far. One recent example was the return of a talking drum taken in 1916 from the Ebrie people of the Ivory Coast.
France’s parliament approved its restitution in 2025, and the artefact was officially returned in March. Macron described the latest developments as the beginning of a broader cultural relationship between Europe and Africa.
