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Berlin Museum to return hundreds of skulls of prominent East Africans to ex-colony

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The Berlin Museum authority has concluded plans to return hundreds of human skulls of prominent citizens from former German colony of East Africa after having researched their origin for several years, the museum management said on Wednesday.

Hermann Parzinger, the president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, an authority that oversees many of Berlin’s museums, including the Museum of Prehistory and Early History, said in a statement that during extensive research at the city’s Museum of Prehistory and Early History, scientists examined 1,135 skulls.

Out of the figure, 904 skulls could be assigned to areas in present-day Rwanda, 202 to Tanzania and 22 to Kenya while the origin of seven of the skulls could not be assigned.

“The clear objective of provenance research on human remains is to restitute them to the countries concerned,” said Parzinger.

“We are ready for immediate restitution and are now waiting for signals from the countries of origin,” he added.

According to Parzinger, a vast majority of the skulls originate from burial sites, especially cemeteries or burial caves, but partly also from local execution sites and in some cases also from executions by Germans.

“The human remains examined belong to the anthropological collection of about 7,700 skulls that the museum authority had taken over from Berlin’s Charité hospital in 2011.

“Due to the size of the collection and the diversity of its geographic origin, it has not been possible to examine all skulls yet,” he added.

In the days of colonial rule, most of East Africa was a German colony which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, parts of Tanzania, and a small region of Mozambique.

In recent years, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has made efforts to return several human remains and artifacts that were stolen by Germans and other European colonialists in the past and ended up in Berlin collections.

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Zimbabwe calls on UK to return remains of 19th century warriors

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The Zimbabwean government has renewed its call on the United Kingdom to repatriate the remains of its 19th century warriors who were taken away by the British colonial masters after they rose up against colonial rule.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa who made the call during a speech at the burial of independence hero, Jaison Chirinda, who died on October 27 aged 82, said the move to repatriate the remains of the warriors was part of mounting pressure on Western countries and museums to return African artefacts and historical pieces plundered during the colonial era by powers such as Belgium, Britain, France and Germany.

“We remind the British government and people that the spirits of our heroes will not rest until their remains are repatriated and interred in a dignified way,” Mnangagwa.

He specifically mentioned anti-colonial hero King Lobengula, who was forced into exile, as well as Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi, who were executed by hanging for resisting colonial rule.

“Equally, the remains of our brave warriors such as Chief Chiwashira, Chief Chingaira, Chief Mapondera and Chief Mashayamombe are still held in British museums as trophies, after they were captured and killed in horrific circumstances,” Mnangagwa added.

Mnangagwa also demanded an apology from the British government for colonial atrocities they committed.

“We demand an apology and reparations from the British government,” he insisted.

He also noted that Zimbabwe believes the remains were taken to the United Kingdom as war trophies and are being used for research at Cambridge University and London’s Natural History Museum.

Investigations over the years have revealed that the Natural History Museum in the UK holds over 25,000 human remains, with a number of pieces originating from Zimbabwe.

Two years ago, the British institutions announced that they were ready to cooperate, after a Zimbabwean delegation visited the country for talks but the issue has been topical for over a decade with the British revealing that discussions on the subject began in 2014.

The British control ended in 1965, but the local white minority ruled Zimbabwe, then known as Rhodesia, until 1980, when it was renamed Zimbabwe following a guerilla warfare often referred to as the “Rhodesian Bush War.”

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Ghanaians react angrily as American video vixen Rubi Rose tours Jubilee House

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Some Ghanaians have been outraged following a tour of the Jubilee House, the country’s seat of government, by American entertainer and video vixen, Rubi Rose.

The visit and tour of the Jubilee House by the controversial vixen, rapper, and OnlyFans content creator who arrived in Ghana on Thursday, October 31, 2024, sparked outrage and angry reactions among Ghanaians on social media who questioned the rationale behind the visit.

The American star was a special guest for a Halloween party in Accra and during her stay, was granted access to the Jubilee House, where she met with Nadia Adongo Musah, Deputy Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, and was given a tour of the premises.

Photos of Rose’s visit to the Jubilee House circulated on social media, prompting discontent among Ghanaians, who questioned why someone with her background was allowed into the Jubilee House, also known as Flagstaff House, which holds significant historical and symbolic value as the seat of Ghana’s presidency.

Some angry Ghanaians took to social media to voice out their discontents.

A X user with the handle @fanti_boy wrote:

“Is this really Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana?”

Another user, @_blacksnow09, said:

“Foreigners have more access to the presidential residence than citizens.”

@CopsonClaude commented:

“The Jubilee House is now Oasis Lounge.”

@PositiveAt59011 said:

“Please, is the place a hotel where Americans do lodge in?”

@DanQuaye22 said:

“They told the citizens Flagstaff House is a security zone, but see who has easy access.”

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