“This is a handover, not a restitution, in that these objects have never been part of French public collections,” Laurent Serrano, a culture adviser at the French embassy, told Arab News.

“These artifacts, which date back between 1 and 2 million years, were found during excavations carried out over several decades at a site near the Ethiopian capital,” Serrano added.

The three artifacts were officially transferred to Ethiopia’s heritage authority on December 2.

During the ceremony on November 30, Barrot also announced a new €7 million ($7.35 million) project called “Sustainable Heritage in Ethiopia”. The project will promote Ethiopian historical sites through partnerships between researchers, local authorities and communities, according to the French magazine Entrevue.

For the past two years, the French government has also funded the renovation of Ethiopia’s National Palace, now a museum, through an investment of €25 million ($26.25 million).

The two countries have a 127-year-old bilateral agreement to cooperate in archeology and paleontology. However, while French president Emmanuel Macron announced his plan to return African Heritage to the continent in November 2017, frustration has grown over the lack of progress in the seven years since. As of December 2, there had also been no date scheduled for a bill on colonial items to be debated in the country’s National Assembly.

– Karen K. Ho Senior Writer, ARTnews, Published courtesy of Art News.