By Fatou Sillah
The National Assembly of The Gambia has adopted a motion urging the return of cultural and sacred artifacts taken from the country during the colonial era, with lawmakers highlighting the historical losses suffered by communities such as Salikenni Village.
The motion, introduced by Sulayman Saho, the National Assembly member for Central Badibou, calls on the government of the United Kingdom and institutions that currently hold Gambian artifacts to begin the process of returning them.
Lawmakers said that between 1821 and 1965, when the country was under British colonial rule, numerous objects of cultural, spiritual, and historical importance were removed from Gambian communities without consent and later placed in museums, archives, and private collections abroad.
“These artifacts, many of which are held today in museums, archives, and private collections in the United Kingdom, constitute vital symbols of the spiritual heritage, communal memory, and cultural sovereignty of the Gambian people,” Mr. Saho told the Assembly during debate on the motion.
Many of the items, he said, are believed to be held in institutions in Britain, including the British Museum, as well as in private collections.
In presenting the motion, Mr. Saho cited historical examples of confiscations during the colonial period, including the seizure of cultural items belonging to Musa Molloh. After the king was arrested and exiled to Freetown in 1919, he said a collection of sacred objects, firearms, and other possessions was taken and later dispersed, some ending up in British institutions and private hands.
The lawmaker also pointed to the experience of Salikenni, a village in the North Bank Region that, according to historical accounts, was the target of a British punitive expedition during the colonial era.
British forces burned the village after suspecting residents of stockpiling arms and ammunition, Mr. Saho said, describing the episode as part of a broader pattern of colonial violence and dispossession.
The motion formally calls on the British government, its diplomatic mission in Banjul and institutions holding Gambian artifacts to initiate the “immediate and unconditional restitution” of items removed during colonial rule.
Although the motion is not legally binding, it reflects growing efforts across Africa to reclaim cultural heritage taken during the colonial period and held in European museums and private collections.
Comments are closed.