Mozambique Urges Returning Stolen Heritage to Africa
(MENAFN) During a diplomatic visit to Moscow on Tuesday, Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas made a strong appeal for the full restitution of Africa’s heritage and autonomy, which were stripped away by Western colonial forces.
She emphasized that this reclamation should not be limited to the return of looted cultural treasures, but must also encompass the restoration of Africa's pride, self-determination, and economic control.
Following her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Lucas insisted that historical wrongs must be addressed through deep-rooted, structural changes—not merely symbolic gestures from Western nations.
According to her, true sovereignty for Africa involves reshaping the continent’s participation in the world economy, which requires moving beyond reliance on the export of unprocessed natural resources and instead promoting investment in local, value-creating industries.
“Everything that was brought away from Africa must be returned to the continent,” Lucas stated.
“I’m not only speaking about tangible artifacts, [but also] about the policy that would result in our economic independence... We would like to feel as Africans, to work as Africans, to be Africans.”
Her comments came in the wake of Mozambique’s formal appeal in May for the repatriation of approximately 800 cultural items currently housed in European museums.
These include ceremonial masks, sculptures, and sacred documents taken during the colonial period.
The country’s Minister of Education and Culture, Samaria Tovela, underscored that the return of these relics is essential to reclaiming and preserving African cultural identity.
The call for comprehensive restitution highlights a broader shift in African leadership demanding not only historical justice but also a new economic and political trajectory for the continent.
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