France returns three colonial-era skulls to Madagascar

In a significant move 127 years in the making, France has taken steps to return the remains of a slain king to Madagascar.

The French government has officially handed over the skull of King Toera, along with three additional skulls believed to belong to members of the Sakalava ethnic group.

This solemn ceremony took place at the French Ministry of Culture on Tuesday, with the skulls set to be buried in Madagascar on August 31. These remains, previously held at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, were taken as trophies following a violent colonial attack in Ambiky, Madagascar, in the late 1800s.

King Toera was killed during this assault by French troops, and his skull has been a subject of contention for many years as Madagascar sought to reclaim it.

Rachida Dati, the Culture Minister, said the return is a "historic event" and acknowledged the circumstances under which these skulls entered France's national collections, which she stated violated human dignity and were rooted in colonial violence.

While scientists have confirmed the origins of the skulls from the Sakalava community, it remains only presumed that one of them belongs to King Toera.

During a visit to Madagascar in April, President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the importance of this gesture, noting it as a step towards creating "conditions for forgiveness" regarding the dark chapters of colonial history from 1897 to Madagascar's independence in 1960.

The restitution also marks the beginning of the application of a new French law, enacted at the end of 2023, facilitating the return of human remains from public collections without necessitating legislative procedures.