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Reparations initiatives for colonial crimes are stalled in Europe. In Africa, restitution of stolen art objects is often considered. Here is the state of play.

"I have no master," claims storyteller and teacher Massamba Gueye. He is proud to be part of a generation that went to university in Senegal rather than being educated in the West. This is also true for President Macky Sall, whom he advises on issues of culture and heritage. “We must return everything without negotiating,” Gueye insists. He says a Truth Commission is needed between Africa and Europe in order to realize this dream of a continent at peace.

In Senegal, a Fulani violinist is restoring the identity to an instrument collected 175 years ago by abolitionist Victor Schœlcher. The instrument is part of the Cité de la Musique collections in Paris, but this violinist reveals its real origin to us. He is calling for the return of family possessions looted during colonization. But in Senegal, as elsewhere in Africa, the communities to whom these objects belong are excluded from the debate on restitutions.

"The restitution of our stolen heritage will remain at the heart of our agenda," said Senegal's president on Saturday, February 5, as he took the helm of the African Union. Senegal, along with others such as Algeria and Egypt, is at the forefront of the restitution debate, with its ambitious Museum of Black Civilizations. But will Africa manage to unite on this issue?

Xam sa démb, xam sa tey (“Know your past, know your present”) aims to make Senegalese history accessible to youth and to preserve the country’s storytelling tradition.