Addis ababa: Alula Pankhurst has commended the Ethiopian government's diplomatic efforts to recover heritage artifacts taken from the country through looting, force, and other illicit means. Pankhurst, a researcher and member of the Ethiopian National Heritage Restitution Committee, emphasized that Ethiopia has achieved encouraging results in recent years by strengthening diplomatic engagement, improving coordination among stakeholders, and applying the principle of 'Medemer,' or synergy, in facilitating the return of cultural heritage items.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Pankhurst noted in an exclusive interview that numerous Ethiopian artifacts have been repatriated over the past seven years through diplomatic initiatives and coordinated efforts involving government institutions, researchers, heritage organizations, and international museums. He stressed that heritage objects removed through force, looting, or other illicit means should be returned to their rightful historical owners.
A British scholar and social development consultant highlighted Ethiopia's intensified efforts to identify and recover heritage items illegally taken out of the country, including artifacts that appeared on international art and antiquities markets. Pankhurst revealed that Ethiopian authorities have, in several cases, submitted formal diplomatic objections to prevent the sale of Ethiopian artifacts on foreign markets. Following the cancellation of such sales, negotiations for the return of the artifacts have been initiated, sometimes involving reasonable and affordable compensation.
Pankhurst also mentioned ongoing efforts to recover Emperor Tewodros II's Gospel, looted from Maqdala and later put up for sale in Abu Dhabi by an Austrian firm. Direct engagement with international museums has become a crucial avenue for securing the return of Ethiopian heritage. An agreement with the Toledo Museum of Art in the United States was cited, which involves the gradual repatriation of approximately 380 Ethiopian artifacts acquired by the museum from an individual. The museum is expected to return two 15th-century manuscripts and three crosses soon, with the rest to be returned in phases over the next five to ten years.
Such agreements, Pankhurst noted, demonstrate the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and cooperation among government institutions, researchers, heritage organizations, and international museums in restoring Ethiopia's cultural heritage. The ongoing repatriation efforts are helping recover historical objects that constitute an important part of Ethiopia's cultural and historical identity.
