REPATRIATION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY ILLICITLY EXPORTED ABROAD
A delegation made up of some traditional authorities from the large and dynamic Maka'a community, led by their son Mr. MBENG IN Hanse Gilbert: Teacher-Researcher, Full Professor of Universities, was received on Friday, April 24, 2026, in the convivial room, by the Minister of Arts and Culture .
On the agenda for discussion :
The agreement of the German State for the Repatriation of the human remains of six Maka'a chiefs out of the ten taken during the German colonial period and kept at the University of Freiburg in the State of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, following negotiations initiated with the support of the inter-ministerial committee in charge of the repatriation of Cameroonian cultural property illegally exported abroad.
Let us remember that these remains are much more than physical vestiges. They embody the heritage, traditions and identity of an entire community.
Thanks and request for support from the Maka'a community to the MINAC to facilitate the return of these human remains in compliance with legal procedures and cultural sensitivity, in order to pay homage to their ancestors and reconcile with their history.
the preservation of these physical remains once they have been returned to the community.
At the end of the discussions, the Minister congratulated the Community for all its efforts which had resulted in a favorable outcome.
However, the repatriation process concerns not only the communities but the State as a whole. Therefore, the day's hosts were instructed to provide all the necessary documentation to be presented to the higher authorities, who will then determine the procedures for the effective repatriation of these Maka'a human remains.
