Sultan (King) Nabil Mbombo Njoya of the Bamoun people in the Noun Division in Cameroon’s West region, has requested that German authorities return a throne that was stolen from the Bamoun people during the colonial era.
This happened during his Royal tour that is taking him across different countries in Europe.
After spending a few days in Paris, France the Sultan traveled to Berlin, Germany to meet with and offer blessings to members of the Bamoun community.
During his stay, he visited the Humboldt Forum Museum which houses the Mandu Yenu throne Throne of the old Bamoun kingdom. The throne was originally commissioned by King Ibrahim Njoya in the 1880s and features elaborate beadwork which the Bamoun people are known for.
Although many people were led to believe that it was a gift from King Njoya to the German emperor in 1908, many historians argue that it was actually stolen by the German military during colonization.
While visiting the museum King Mbombo Njoya refused to sit on the chair the museum reserved for him and instead sat on the throne that belonged to his great-great-grandfather. His decision was celebrated by those who were able to attend and through videos shared on social media as he is the first King to sit on it in 115 years.
It was hailed as a historic moment for the “Bamoun people and all of Cameroon” as well as the movement for repatriation, the return of stolen artifacts to their country of origin.
One member of his entourage spoke about how for many years Cameroon has requested for the throne to be returned and has been denied but they will continue to ask for it back especially now that King Mbombo Njoya has sat on it. There has yet to be a response from the museum but based on past requests many people do not believe that they will return it.
For many years Cameroon and many other countries have petitioned European countries to return their artifacts and goods. Among these is The Tangue, a sculpture from the Sawa chiefdom, which is also still on display at the Humboldt Forum. Another is a sculpture from Mamfe Division in the Autenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne, Germany. Though the museum wanted to give it back in 2022 because of Germany’s complicated repatriation process they have not been able to.
Last year, the Fon of Nso was also in Germany to request the return of Ngonnso, the artifact believed to be the founder of the Nso people, which is yet to be achieved.
In order to make a request for return a country or community member has to first identify what the object is and where it is being held. Then they have to prove ownership of the object which is difficult if there are no written records, photographs, or similar style sculptures or objects to show.
Even though there is evidence to show that the throne belongs to the Bamoun there has been no explanation as to why it has not been returned.
It is another example of the tension between countries trying to get their artifacts back, especially those with religious and cultural significance, and other countries who believe that these objects are rightfully theirs because they have been in their possession for decades.
Communities continue to ask the question of what meaning these objects have for people. If it is more important for countries to return everything to their rightful owners or if it is more important to leave them in museums because it allows people to learn about different parts of the world.
