CONAKRY, Guinea – Guinea has formally requested that France return the skulls of several 19th-century anti-colonial leaders and personal belongings of prominent resistance figures, as the West African nation steps up efforts to reclaim cultural artefacts and human remains taken during the colonial era.
The requests, submitted to French authorities in mid-July, include the skull of Boubacar Biro Barry, the last ruler of the Fouta-Djalon kingdom in present-day Guinea. Guinea is also seeking the return of the remains of Barry’s son, brother and war chief.
The four men were beheaded by French colonial forces in 1896 following a battle during France’s conquest of the region.
In addition to the human remains, Guinea has requested the return of manuscripts and personal belongings of Samory Touré, the renowned military leader who fiercely resisted French colonial expansion while building his own empire in West Africa.
According to Amirou Conte, Director of the National Museum of Conakry, the requested items include Touré’s manuscripts, sabre, headdress and traditional boubou tunic.
Guinea’s Minister of Culture, Moussa Moise Sylla, said the government is committed to ensuring the return of Barry and his companions’ remains so they can be buried with dignity in their homeland.
“The Guinean state will take all necessary steps to secure the return” of the remains “so that they may rest with dignity in the land of their ancestors,” Sylla said.
The requests come as France has taken steps in recent years to facilitate the restitution of cultural artefacts and human remains acquired during the colonial period.
In September 2025, France returned three skulls of victims of colonial-era atrocities to Madagascar, including one believed to belong to King Toera, who was beheaded by French troops during the 1897 Ambiky massacre.
Earlier this year, the French Parliament also approved legislation aimed at simplifying the return of artworks and cultural objects removed from former French colonies, paving the way for more restitution claims from African nations.
Guinea’s latest request reflects a growing movement across Africa to recover historical artefacts and the remains of resistance leaders taken during colonial rule, with many governments arguing that such items are central to preserving national history, identity and dignity.
