Culture

Germany to return prized artefacts stolen from Africa during colonial rule

Published

2 months ago

June 28, 2022

The German government has agreed to return prized artefacts stolen from Aftican countries, particularly from Cameroon, Namibia and Tanzania, during the colonial times over 120 years ago, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The priceless artefacts which were looted by the German colonial government officials during the colonial era will be permanently returned to their original countries, the Foundation officials said.

The Berlin-based Heritage Foundation which manages museums based in the German capital said it had entered into negotiations on the returns of artefacts to their countries of origin.

According to the Heritage Foundation, some of the artefacts to be returned are a shell-studded statue of a mother goddess named Ngonnso, which holds “great spiritual significance for the Nso’ people of northwest Cameroon.”

The statue, according to the Foundation, has been part of the collection of Berlin’s Ethnological Museum since 1903, after a German colonial officer who had taken it by force from the Nso tribe ‘donated’ it to the government.

The board also approved the permanent return of 23 artefacts including jewellery, tools and fashion items, to Namibia, the statement noted.

The artefacts which were stolen from Namibia during the colonial period from 1884 to 1919, were sent to the southern African country in May for research purposes and will now remain there.

The statement further said the Foundation’s President, Hermann Parzinger, has also been authorised to sign an agreement on the return of objects Germany looted from Tanzania during the Maji Maji Rebellion and other conflicts during its early 20th-century colonial rule.

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Culture

Anger in Morocco after France denied visa to rapper El Grande Toto for concert

Published

3 days ago

August 12, 2022

Akanimoh Etim

A cross section of Moroccans have expressed anger following the French Immigration Services denying the visa application of Morocco’s biggest rapper, El Grande Toto, who was scheduled for a concert at the Semi Festival in Sete, France.

Toto who is unarguably the biggest rap artiste in North Africa, was lined up for the concert which was to hold on Thursday, but could not make it due to the Visa denial by the French authorities.

As a result of the development, the Moroccan rapper’s entire European tour scheduled for August and September has now been canceled as he became another victim of France’s decision to limit the amount of Schengen visas it issues to Moroccans.

El Grande Toto who posted the news on his official Instagram account on Friday, stated that “having a visa today is like playing the lottery. It’s like a game of chance. I’m really getting tired of it.”

The news has also caused consternation in the North African country as many have called for the country to reciprocate the action and deny French diplomats from coming into the country till the music act gets justice.

El Grande Toto is facing a familiar terrain as he was denied visa for an event in Egypt last year on account of “his status as a rapper,” he had posted on his Facebook page.

Culture

Kenyan Oscar-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o, celebrates father as he wins governorship election

Published

4 days ago

August 11, 2022

Akanimoh Etim

Kenyan Oscar-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o, has celebrated her father, Prof. Peter Anyang Nyong’o, after he was declared the winner of the governorship election for the Kisumu county for a second and final term.

Lupita’s father was announced winner on Wednesday following Kenya’s general elections held on Tuesday.

Following the announcement, the US-based multiple award winning actress took to her verified Twiter handle to congratulate her father, and also thanked the people of the Kisumu county for voting for him.

“ABICH MORO! Congratulations to my Daddy and THANK YOU to the people of Kisumu for their overwhelming support at the polls. @AnyangNyongo #5moro #TichTire,” she wrote.

ABICH MORO! Congratulations to my Daddy and THANK YOU to the people of Kisumu for their overwhelming support at the polls. @AnyangNyongo #5moro #TichTire pic.twitter.com/FEmgmGhB3j

— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) August 10, 2022

Prof. Nyong’o was a former Senator representing Kisumu County from 2013 to 2017, before he contested and became the county’s governor on the ticket of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

He was also a Member of Parliament for Kisumu Rural constituency, having been elected on a NARC ticket in December 2002.

Prof. Nyongo’o began his political career in 1992 when he was first elected to parliament and served as a nominated MP from 1998 to 2002.