Sylvie Njobati has multiplied the round trips between Cameroon and Germany to campaign for the return of the Ngonnso statue of the Nso people, based in the northwest of Cameroon.
His last visit to Berlin to incite official negotiations on restitution had a positive result.
The Ngonnso statue, which has been in Germany for 120 years and is currently on display at the Humboldt Forum in the city of Berlin, is soon to be returned to the Nso people in Cameroon who currently only have a replica.
In an interview with DW, she explains the meaning of her commitment.
DW: Why is it so important to you that the statue returns to Cameroon?
Sylvie Njobati : This is a question that I am asked very often. What do I care? It is about my identity, my culture, my history. It means you can’t enjoy where you’re going if you don’t know where you came from. When the day is over, I do not recognize who I am if there is no Ngonnso. I recognize this colonial heritage inherited from the colonial era, from Great Britain, France and Germany. But it’s important because that’s who I am. It is our culture. It is our identity, our roots.
How do you see the issue of stolen African art objects exhibited in European museums?
It is a big problem that these works of art are exhibited in European museums because they are the soul of a people. These objects are not works of art. They are not intended for museums. They embody the spirituality of a people. Also, the exhibition of these objects is proof of bad faith. This helps to maintain the hold of colonial power, it helps to maintain the hold of the unequal relations that existed then and now between Africa and Europe. So it’s like, “Oh yeah, we have the trophy. We went to kill, we instigated the worst genocides in history and we still have the trophies and we’re proud of that.” That’s what it is. And so for us Africans, it is also about seeking social justice. It is about seeking the renaissance of Africa.
Are you surprised that it took so long for countries like Germany to agree to return these items?
I’m not surprised. I’m disappointed that it took so long for Germany to start returning these items. It’s a kind of realization that I’ve been expecting for a long time, since the world talks a lot about global justice and tries to fight other injustices. This should have happened a long time ago.
And now, what is the next step?
There is now a need for negotiations, which would involve mobilizing stakeholders returning from Cameroon to sit at the negotiating table with stakeholders in Germany to negotiate how restitution could be done, to create the calendar together.
What is clear is that there is a negotiation process which will begin next month. For my part, my proposal is that by December, Ngonnso should be back home.
What do you say to those who say that many African countries cannot take care of these returned objects?
The first thing is that these objects belong to us by right. Whether or not we can take care of it shouldn’t really be a major issue. Before these items are stolen, we take care of them. They were objects that had remained for centuries and centuries. And Africa, as a continent, is also at the forefront of development and technology. We understand that culture is changing, and Africa is changing too. I think we have the ability to take care of our objects. And even if we don’t, they are still our objects.
Sylvie Njobati: “These objects belong to us by right” | DW | 01.07.2022