France returns slain king's skull to Madagascar

France has officially returned the skull of King Toera, a Malagasy monarch who was killed by French troops during a colonial war in Madagascar more than a century ago. The handover ceremony took place at the French culture ministry in Paris, where officials from both France and Madagascar gathered to witness the event. The skull, along with those of two other members of King Toera's court, had been kept at the Museum of Natural History in Paris since the late 1800s. This return marks the first time France has used a new law designed to make it easier to give back human remains taken during colonial times. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati spoke at the ceremony, saying that the skulls were taken in a way that violated human dignity and happened during a period of colonial violence.

In 1897, French forces attacked the Menabé kingdom in western Madagascar, which was ruled by the Sakalava people. King Toera was killed in the conflict, and his head was sent to Paris as a trophy. For nearly 130 years, his descendants and the government of Madagascar have been asking France to return the skull. Although DNA tests could not prove the skull belonged to King Toera, a traditional Sakalava spirit medium confirmed its identity. Madagascar's Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara said that the return of the skulls was a significant gesture, describing their absence as an open wound in the heart of the island for more than a century.

France has returned other human remains from the colonial era before, such as the remains of the South African woman known as the 'Hottentot Venus. ' However, this is the first time the process has been made easier by a new law. The Museum of Natural History in Paris still holds more than 20,000 human remains from around the world, many of which were collected for scientific reasons. The return of King Toera's skull is seen as an important step in acknowledging past wrongs and helping Madagascar heal. It also highlights the growing movement to return cultural and historical artifacts to their countries of origin. Both France and Madagascar hope that this event will strengthen their relationship and encourage more returns in the future.