France Returns Remains to Madagascar After Colonial Era Violence

France has returned three human skulls from the colonial era to Madagascar, including one believed to belong to King Toera, who was executed by French troops in 1897.

The remains were handed over to representatives of Madagascar at the French Ministry of Culture on August 25. Toera's skull had been displayed at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati stated that the skulls were acquired under conditions that violated human dignity. Her counterpart from Madagascar, Volamiranti Dona Mara, hailed the return as a significant gesture, stating that their absence was an "open wound" for the country.

In recent years, France has accelerated the return of artworks acquired during the colonial period. New legislation is expected to facilitate the return of objects removed from states between 1815 and 1972 through dispossession.

Emmanuel Macron had pledged to seek forgiveness for France's colonial years in Madagascar.