Addis Ababa, November 21, 2021 (Walta) – Some 13 artifacts that were looted 153 years ago by the British army were returned to Ethiopia today.
High-ranking government officials, including Tourism Minister Nansi Challe, received the artifacts looted during the Battle of Maqdala at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The artifacts were reportedly returned after extensive diplomatic efforts by the Ethiopian Embassy in the United Kingdom, Ethiopians residing in the UK, and the Ethiopian Heritages Recovery Committee.
The heritages are reflections of Ethiopia’s ancient civilization, history, indigenous knowledge, and culture, Tourism Minister Nansi said on the occasion.
She pledged that the government will continue its ongoing efforts to enable the return of the various heritages of Ethiopia dispersed around the globe.
Among the artifacts returned today include prayer books, crosses, and crowns, among other religious heritages.
The treasures have now been kept in the Ethiopian National Museum.
Various documents indicate that in the aftermath of the Battle of Maqdala in 1868, British soldiers engaged in looting both the Fortress of Magdala and the surrounding areas, making off with innumerable objects of immense value to Ethiopians.
Although many of these illegally obtained items are currently housed in public museums across the world, some remain in private collections across the United Kingdom.