France Returns the Skull of a King

France has formally returned the skull of King Toera, a ruler beheaded by French troops in 1897, to Madagascar. The handover took place at a Tuesday ceremony in Paris, where the skulls of two other court members were also returned. The remains had spent over a century stored at the Museum of Natural History, after being brought to France during the colonial conquest of Madagascar's Sakalava people. CNN reports Madagascar gained its independence from France in 1960.

The transfer marks the first application of a French law, passed in 2023, per Reuters, that is designed to speed up the repatriation of human remains taken during colonial rule. At the event, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati acknowledged that the skulls entered France's collections under circumstances that "clearly violated human dignity." Madagascar Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara described the gesture as healing "an open wound in the heart of our island." The BBC notes DNA analysis could not conclusively identify the skull, but a Sakalava spirit medium did authenticate the remains. CNN reports Madagascar plans to rebury the skulls in Menabe, in the island's west.