The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has, for the first time, publicly reacted to reports that the United Kingdom (UK) has agreed to loan back some of the Asante artefacts that were looted by the British during the Sagrenti War in 1874.

The BBC reported in January 2024 that the United Kingdom would return 32 Asanteman artefacts, including the "crown jewels," under a long-term loan deal.

Speaking at the durbar, dubbed "Kuntunkuni," which was held to commemorate the ravages of the Sagrenti War in Kumasi, on Thursday, February 8, 2024, the Asantehene confirmed the deal.

He indicated that the loan deal is the best Asanteman can get in the meantime because the government of the United Kingdom has stated that its current laws do not permit it to give back the items.

This was also made possible after the Asantehene engaged with the late Queen Elizabeth II and the current King, Charles III.

"Just this past May (2023), the new King of Britain invited me; I made it a point that I would go to the British Museum when I go there again. I went there to tell them that the soul of Ashanti was in our items in their custody, so they should give them back to us. They said they could not return it because of the laws, so they would make an arrangement with me. So, I appointed some people to discuss it with them.

"Now they have agreed that they would return 32 of the artefacts, but it would be on loan. We would have it for some time and return it to them. After returning it, they would have them for some time and also return it," he said in Twi.

The Asantehene also said he gladly accepted the offer because it was better than the Asante artefacts not returning home.

"When they told me, I said I would accept the deal as it is. Some of the items have been there for 150 years, and if they say they would return them for three years and it would continue, I accept it so that my people would see that it is true that our artefacts were taken away," he added.

Watch his remarks in the video below (from 13:00):



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