President of Benin inaugurates exhibition with returned artworks

The President of Benin, Patrice Talon, inaugurated an exhibition on Saturday showcasing 26 royal treasures returned by France last November.

The items on display to the general public from Sunday were returned nearly 130 years after they were stolen by colonial forces.

The exhibition is being held on the grounds of the presidential palace in the capital, Cotonou.

The items were taken from Abomey, capital of the former Dahomey kingdom located in the south of present day Benin.

French lawmakers have passed a bill allowing Paris to return artefacts to both Benin and Senegal, another former French colony.