British & French Colonial Restitution: NAMs to Consider Motion for Return of Stolen Gambian Artefacts

National Assembly members of the Sixth Legislature © Askanwi

By Edward Francis Dalliah, Jr.

The National Assembly is set to consider a motion seeking legal and diplomatic pathways for the restitution of Gambian artefacts removed during the colonial era by the British and French Colonial regime, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to reclaim looted cultural heritage.

Announcing the agenda for the commencement of the First Ordinary Session of the 2026 Legislative Year, Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta revealed during a press briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday, 26th February 2026, that lawmakers will deliberate on “several motions of profound national and international importance”, including the restitution of artefacts taken during colonial rule.

According to the official agenda shared with the media, the motion will be tabled on 12th March 2026 by the member for Central Baddibu, Hon. Sulayman Saho. Titled “Restitution of Gambian Artefacts and Sacred Heritage Removed During Colonial Rule, with Special Attention to Salikenni Village”, the motion seeks to compel the government to pursue the return of cultural items believed to be held abroad.

The proposed motion aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 framework, which emphasises reparations and restitution of African treasures. In 2025, the AU adopted the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”, highlighting reparatory justice as a pathway to healing, equity, and recognition of the rights and contributions of African peoples. Among the key components of that agenda is the return of cultural artefacts taken during colonisation.

In an earlier publication by The Standard Newspaper, Hon. Saho disclosed that one of the artefacts removed from his community is a traditional drum locally called “tabulo”, allegedly taken from Baddibu and currently displayed in a museum in the United Kingdom.

He stated that “this and other artefacts are found in museums in several countries in Europe, and my motion is aimed at compelling the government of The Gambia to take up its full responsibility to bring back our looted assets, just like other countries such as Ghana, Nigeria and Benin are doing.”

Efforts to recover looted heritage are not entirely new. In a 2022 publication, The Standard reported that during his tenure as Tourism Minister, Hon. Hamat informed lawmakers that the government was collaborating with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate the return of Gambian artefacts.

Hon Bah disclosed at the time that investigations had identified 86 artworks believed to belong to The Gambia in France alone. “So far, our investigation has shown 86 items [artworks] that belong to The Gambia are found in France alone. It is believed that these are items that belong to our country, and we will do whatever it takes to bring them back,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that The Gambia lacked the capacity to pursue repatriation unilaterally and would therefore rely on a collective ECOWAS approach.

Nearly four years later, there has been no official public update on the progress of those recovery efforts. While the planned parliamentary debate signals renewed momentum toward reclaiming artefacts taken during colonial rule, it also raises questions about domestic readiness. Observers have pointed out that some historical sites and artefacts within The Gambia remain underdeveloped or in a state of deterioration, prompting concerns about preservation capacity should repatriation efforts succeed.

Therefore, as lawmakers prepare to debate the motion in March, the discussion is expected to touch not only on legal and diplomatic mechanisms for restitution but also on how the country intends to safeguard and showcase any returned heritage items.