Editorial: Liberation

• On July 27, 2016, the Council of Ministers of Benin formally requested Paris to return the precious royal objects 'taken by the French army during the conquest in November 1892'.
• After an initial refusal by France in 2017, the process was chaotic and contentious, but the 26 Beninese artworks were finally returned.
• Despite their restitution, concerns remain about the safety of these artworks in their home countries.
• There were debates on the repatriation of many other artworks removed during the same period, and whether restitutions should extend beyond the colonial era.

Conclusion: Despite various oppositions and controversies, the restitution of these 26 artworks marks a historic milestone and could signal the beginning of a series of similar restitutions in the future, albeit the way forward seems uncertain.

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