France returns skulls of King Toera and Sakalava leaders to Madagascar after 128 years

France has officially returned three human skulls to Madagascar, including one believed to be that of King Toera, a 19th-century Malagasy monarch who was decapitated by French colonial forces in 1897. This repatriation ceremony, held at the French Ministry of Culture in Paris, marks the first use of a 2023 French law enabling the return of human remains taken during colonial times for proper burial.

The other two skulls belonged to warriors who fought alongside King Toera from the Sakalava ethnic group, who were also executed during the violent crackdown on the Menabe kingdom in western Madagascar.

In the late 19th century, French troops subdued the Sakalava kingdoms as part of their colonization of Madagascar, which gained independence in 1960 after over 60 years of colonial rule. During a military campaign in August 1897, French forces killed King Toera and beheaded him as a trophy, subsequently transporting his skull to Paris where it was stored in the National Museum of Natural History along with many other remains from Madagascar.


The repatriation process and ceremony
Following years of advocacy by the Malagasy government and descendants of King Toera, France returned the skulls 128 years after they were taken. A joint scientific committee confirmed the skulls belonged to the Sakalava community.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati described the return as a "historic moment" and acknowledged the prior loss of human dignity amid colonial violence, calling it a closure of "a historical, scientific, and memorial journey" between France and Madagascar, reported Reuters.

Madagascar's Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara called the event "a significant moment for the Sakalava community" representing a healing of a "wound in the heart" of Madagascar. The skulls will tour in Madagascar and be buried according to custom in Bora (north of the country) on Aug 30.

Broader implications and colonial reparations

The repatriation follows French President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 commitment to facilitate the return of African cultural heritage taken under colonialism. This effort to restore artifacts and human remains is part of a broader movement to confront colonial history and seek reconciliation. Macron promised forgiveness for "our history has been written... with deeply painful pages,” during his visit to Madagascar earlier in 2025, reports Le Monde. Similar restitution movements are underway in other former colonial powers such as the UK.

FAQ

Q: Why were the skulls taken to France?
A: French colonial troops decapitated King Toera during a 1897 crackdown, taking his skull and those of his generals as trophies. They were then kept as part of France's National Museum of Natural History collections, reflecting colonial-era practices that violated human dignity.

Q: What does this repatriation symbolize?
A: The return symbolizes acknowledgment of colonial injustices, a step towards healing historical wounds, and restoration of cultural dignity for the Malagasy people, particularly the Sakalava community.

Q: What is the significance of the 2023 French law mentioned?
A: This law facilitates the restitution of human remains held in French public collections, making the repatriation faster and legally streamlined for cases like the Malagasy skulls.