Now, three skulls have arrived in Madagascar after being stored in France for 128 years. One of the skulls is believed to belong to the former leader of the Sakalava people, King Toera, who was beheaded by French forces in 1897. The two other skulls may have belonged to his warriors. Upon arrival in the capital Antananarivo, they were received by Sakalava representatives.
The skulls were handed over to Madagascar in Paris on August 27. Then, France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati said that a scientific committee had been able to confirm that the skulls originated from the Sakalava people, but that King Toera's identity can only be "assumed".
The return is the first of its kind since France introduced a law in 2023 that allows human remains to be repatriated. Madagascar was a French colony for over 60 years until its independence in 1960.
Drapped in the flag of Madagascar, the boxes were driven to a mausoleum in the capital on Tuesday, where the country's president Andry Rajoelina was waiting. During the week, they will be taken further to the west coast, where they will be buried.
