Inaugurated in December 2018, in Dakar, Senegal, the Museum of Black Civilisations (MCN) is the fruit of a long history of cultural and political demands by African countries, aimed at reclaiming their cultural heritage and asserting their identity.
Today, it stands as a key player in the international conversation on the return to Africa of cultural heritage—artefacts taken away during colonial rule and now preserved and exhibited in foreign institutions, outside of their countries of origin.
The idea of such a museum dates back to the 1960s, in the wake of Africa’s anti-colonial struggles. Senegal’s first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor—poet, philosopher and politician, had spoken as early as 1966 of a place—a homecoming of sorts, where Africa would exhibit its history and arts.
President Senghor first articulated this dream in 1966 at the First World Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar, a historic and seminal event that brought together artists, intellectuals and heads of state from Africa and the diaspora.
This laid the foundation of a shared pan-African cultural identity and affirmation, and the dream of a space dedicated to African civilisations, capable of telling and sharing their own stories, was born.
However, it was not until 50 years later that the project took shape.
In Dakar, on a site close to that of the ‘Village des Arts’ initially envisaged, the Museum of Black Civilisations was erected.
The museum’s director, Mohamed Abdallah Ly, sees the symbolic modern building as a direct response to the supposed lack of facilities, expertise or infrastructure capable of conserving and promoting the restituted heritage, “arguments often put forward in Europe to justify the retention of African works” he says.
The debate on restitution is a long-standing one. However, it was in the 2010s, according to Mr. Ly, with the rise of movements calling for the decolonisation of knowledge, the fight against systemic racism, and the digital activism of younger generations, that the issue came back with vigor.
In recent years, attempts to physically seize African artefacts and objects from European museums, have attracted global media attention.
These incidents resulted in arrests and amplified calls for the return of African cultural artefacts.
Activists argue that many artefacts in Western museums were acquired through violence, coercion, or during colonial rule, and that they belong to their communities of origin.
In this broader context, the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar aims, as Mr. Ly puts it, to demonstrate that Africa has capable infrastructure to house and protect its rediscovered treasures.
Yet, six years after opening its doors, the results remain thin. Only one major object has officially entered its collection via restitution — The Sabre (also known as The Sword) of El Hadj Omar Tall, the 19th-Century anti-colonial resistance leader.
The Sabre’s return and arrival in Dakar in 2019, was celebrated widely across Senegal.
However, the item was returned on a renewable five-year ‘loan’. The Sword, now on display in a secluded room in the museum, raises a number of questions: Why have so few objects been returned, despite promises made?
Why a loan rather than a final return?
These questions, raised by visitors and decision-makers alike, are welcome, Mr. Ly observed, because they support the museum's mission and serve as a reminder that the battle for Africa’s heritage still must be won, despite some symbolic advances.
Looking ahead, the Museum of Black Civilisations is preparing to welcome additional objects, including manuscripts and other historical treasures linked to El Hadj Omar Tall's sword, claimed by his descendants.
But the museum also aims to deepen its roots—locally and internationally, by forging scientific partnerships and mobilising the younger generation to learn more about their history through these artefacts.
