France will return the skull of a Sakalava king, along with those of two of his warriors, to Madagascar in August 2025. This repatriation comes 128 years after their beheading in 1897. Madagascar's Minister of Communication and Culture, Volamiranty Donna Mara, confirmed the ceremony last week, marking the culmination of a 22-year diplomatic request. Beyond the symbolic gesture, Antananarivo intends to transform this event into a moment of national unity and a celebration of the country's rich cultural heritage.

A local dispute nearly jeopardized the historic repatriation of royal remains to Madagascar. Just weeks before the return of the skulls, initially set for April, disagreements arose between Madagascar’s Culture Minister and the descendants of the Sakalava royal family over ceremony details. The royal family cited a traditional prohibition against April celebrations, warning of misfortune for those who defy it. Authorities eventually agreed to a postponement, and a consensus now allows for a ceremony that respects local spiritual rites and cultural values.

Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara, quoted in the local newspaper La Vérité, stated, "All criteria have now been met, both legally and technically. Only a few steps remain before the actual return of these royal human remains to Malagasy soil." According to divinatory practices, August is considered more auspicious for the ceremony. This timing is particularly significant as it aligns with the period for ancestral purification rites for royal relics among the Sakalava people.

From the Musée de l’Homme to Menabe: A Long Road to Restitution

The excitement surrounding the preparations for the return of the royal remains and those of two Sakalava warriors nearly overshadows the fact that this restitution was far from certain. Discreet efforts to repatriate the remains of King Toera reportedly began as early as the 1970s under French President Georges Pompidou but failed. The formal process only started in 2003 with an official request to the French embassy in Antananarivo, following research suggesting the presence of Malagasy skulls at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris.

These skulls originate from the Ambiky massacre in August 1897. During this event, French colonial troops killed hundreds, possibly up to 5,000, people.

These skulls originate from the Ambiky massacre in August 1897. During this event, French colonial troops killed hundreds, possibly up to 5,000, people. King Toera and several of his soldiers were beheaded, their skulls taken as trophies, and eventually ended up in the collections of the Paris Museum of Natural History.

The process of certifying that one of the skulls belonged to King Toera was complex. A lengthy investigation took place, involving French historian Klara Boyer-Rossol and Joe Kamamy, King Toera’s great-great-grandson. Le Monde reported that with the Kamamy family’s consent, a request for DNA sampling was submitted to the Museum in 2014, but the results were inconclusive. Ultimately, a possession ritual rooted in Sakalava spiritual traditions provided confirmation: the king’s spirit, channeled through a woman’s body, reportedly confirmed the skull’s authenticity upon seeing a photograph.

Legislative and Diplomatic Milestones

After this spiritual recognition, a legislative and diplomatic battle ensued to secure France’s agreement for the return of the remains.

Andry Rajoelina, elected head of state in 2019, championed the cause by making restitution a presidential promise. This promise resonated with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has committed to a broader process of returning items looted during colonization. In late 2023, the French Parliament passed a landmark law allowing human remains to be removed from public collections if their acquisition violated the dignity of the individuals concerned.

Based on this new law, a joint French-Malagasy scientific committee was established in October 2024 to examine the Sakalava case. Historians, anthropologists, curators, and members of the royal family concluded that the three skulls met the law’s criteria. The French government then signed a decree on April 2, 2025, formalizing their restitution to Madagascar. This decree represents the first practical application of the new law.

A national ceremony will honor the royal relic, attended by the head of state, ministers, and traditional Malagasy authorities. It will then be handed over to his descendants for its final journey to Menabe, on Madagascar’s west coast.

President Rajoelina considers King Toera a "martyr," and the king's remains are set to return in just over a month. A national ceremony will honor the royal relic, attended by the head of state, ministers, and traditional Malagasy authorities. It will then be handed over to his descendants for its final journey to Menabe, on Madagascar’s west coast. The Sakalava community is expected to gather around their sovereign, Georges Kamamy Jr., enthroned last June, to perform the appropriate funeral rites.

The new king explained in an interview with French radio RFI, "The role of a Sakalava king in 2025, on the eve of the restitution, is to ensure, through traditional rituals, the return of these three Sakalava skulls in strict accordance with the sacred rites of our culture."

Beyond this "moment of national unity," as described by the Malagasy Minister of Culture, this case fits into a broader international discussion on the restitution of human remains and artifacts looted during colonization. Following the return of Māori heads, Algerian skulls, and cultural treasures to Benin and Senegal, the Sakalava case highlights the increasing willingness of former colonial powers to heal historical wounds and redefine cultural relations with their partners. With the return in 2020 of Queen Ranavalona III’s royal canopy crown, Madagascar is emerging as a key player in this global process.

Emiliano Tossou