Afromet

AFROMET (acronym for Association For the Return Of the Magdala Ethiopian Treasures ) is an Ethiopian organization that captured by the British, Ethiopian art and cultural goods again returns or attempts to return to Ethiopia.

History

After the Battle of Magdala in 1868, the victorious British troops plundered the eponymous mountain fortress, in which the Ethiopian rulers Tewodros II had entrenched. For British loot included many books and artifacts that are still preserved in part today in British museums.

Middle of the 20th century came to the view that we should prohibit the looting, it was decided in the 4th Geneva Convention. A problem arose with respect to those goods that had been stolen before the entry into force of this Agreement.

Course

The Ethiopian government requested the return of looted art and cultural goods. Small successes were indeed achieved, but much remains to be done regarding the restitution of these goods.

AFROMET was formed by the voluntary return of items by legal means and general pressure to achieve. So far, ten items have been returned from private donors, including two hand-written psalms, two tabots and a shield. More than 460 items are still in British hands.