President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted the return of the sacred Mpomponsuo sword to Ghana as evidence of the importance of restoring African cultural heritage to the communities to which it belongs.

Addressing a high-level side event at the United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama recalled the destruction and looting of Kumasi by British forces in 1874 and said the return of a portion of Asante heritage in 2024 demonstrated that restitution could reconnect historical objects with living traditions.

He said the Mpomponsuo sword was more than a historical artefact because it remained connected to an active traditional institution and community.

“Its return reminded us that these are not mere relics of a bygone era. They belong to living traditions, active institutions, and communities that are still here,” he said.

President Mahama used the example to argue that restitution should focus not only on the physical return of objects but also on restoring their cultural meaning and relationship with the societies that created them.

He called for the international community to develop systems that would make similar returns easier, faster and more transparent.