By Professor Richard Pankhurst

Ethiopian schoolboy’s campaign for return of historical artefacts

Gabriel Berhanu Kassayie, a nine-year-old Ethiopian schoolboy at the Rosary RC Primary School, in Hampstead, London, has launched a campaign for the return of Ethiopia’s  historic treasures, looted from Emperor Tewodros’s capital at Maqdala in 1868. Gabriel, who sets an example for us all, handed in a Petition to 10 Downing Street, on Sunday 17June at 11am, only a few weeks prior to his handing over to his successor. In this letter Gabriel asked the British Government and Queen Elizabeth to return all Ethiopian artefacts looted from Maqdala.

Gabriel was quoted in the British press as saying that he was demanding the restitution of the Ethiopian artefacts on the occasion of the forthcoming Ethiopian Millennium. He also declared:
 ”I am doing this because looting from Ethiopia, and not returning this loot. is unlawful.”
“I am going to Tony Blair’s office on fathers’ day and this is my gift to my father, grandfather and all Ethiopia and its children.”
In a further statement Gabriel declared:
“International justice requires that all looted Ethiopian antiquities be returned to Ethiopia. Demands for restitution have been made in recent years by the Association for the Return of Ethiopian Maqdala Treasures (AFROMET) which is based in both Ethiopia and Britain.
“The Ethiopian Millennium provides a perfect opportunity, and the UK Government and Queen Elizabeth should take courageous steps so as to return Ethiopia’s historical artefacts to Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people.
In a personal e-mail to the present writer Gabriel recalls how he began the Campaign. He writes:
“I did the campaign in school today with 6 classes (that’s years 3-6). It was after lunch. I read an extract of the campaign statement to each class and gave the teacher 3 sheets for signing. One of my friends called Ashley was with me all the way, helping me with the forms and giving them out when I finished reading. The first meeting was with Year Three and it was fine - I was just a little nervous at the beginning. I then moved to Years 4, 5 and 6. I felt very nervous especially when going to those in Year 6, but it was fine in the end.  
“Each class applauded because I read out the statement very loud and clearly in front of the class. Some of them cheered very loudly, Ashley and I did not expect this, and were surprised... When school finished I got a table [outside the school] and some adults and children came to sign. My dad took some pictures... I am very happy since I collected 88 signatures including those of my teachers. I will do some more tomorrow and during the weekend at the church....”
Before long Gabriel had almost a thousand signatures. 
In his letter to Tony Blair, Gabriel wrote:
“17 June 2007
“Dear Mr. Blair,
“We are on the eve of the new Ethiopian Millennium, and it is a perfect time to take courageous steps to return Ethiopia’s historical artefacts. We, the sons and daughters of Ethiopian citizens in Britain, and their supporters, are asking the UK government to take a lead and return Ethiopian antiquities.
“The United Kingdom still holds lots of Ethiopian historical artefacts. Among these we find hundreds of historic manuscripts, as well as Ethiopian royal crowns, tabots, or altar slabs, church crowns, gold chalices, and processional crosses. All these and other artefacts were looted almost 140 years ago during the British expedition against Emperor Theodros of Ethiopia in 1867-68. The following are testimonies from those present at this large-scale looting.
The invading force “dispersed over the amba”, or mountain top,  “in search of plunder”. The treasury was soon rifled”, “tons” of “manuscript books”. British historian Clements Markham
The looted articles soon covered “the whole surface of the rocky citadel, the slopes of the hill, and the entire road to the [British] camp two miles off”. American journalist H.M. Stanley
‘… while night was falling, he met a British soldier   carrying the golden crown of the Abun, or head of the Ethiopian church, and a “solid gold chalice” weighing “at least 6 lb”. Sir Richard Holmes, “Archaeologist” to the expedition and Assistant Curator in the British Museum’s Department of Manuscripts. 
“Most of the looted manuscripts and other artefacts ended up at the British Museum- now in the British Library, the Royal Library in Windsor Castle, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Cambridge University Library, the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the John Rylands Library of the University of Manchester, and the Royal Library in Vienna.
“Here is a list of the most valuable manuscripts held in the Royal Library in Windsor Castle:
1.    MS Eth Windsor I: Miracles of Lord Jesus, a huge and exceptionally beautifully illustrated 160-page manuscript, dated from 1725, and measuring no less than 13 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches, almost a foot square.
2.    MS Eth Windsor II: Discourse of John Chrysostom in  Praise of John the Baptist,  a 106-page manuscript, beautifully decorated in the so-called Gondarine style, and profusely illustrated with paintings dating from the early 17th or late 16th century.
3.    MS Eth Windsor III: Discourses of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, an 18th century, 140-page manuscript, which includes a picture of St Gabriel bringing the good news to Mary, bound in heavy wooden boards covered with stamped leather and lined with cloth, measuring 14 inches by 12 inches.
4.    MS Eth Windsor IV: Nagara Maryam- History and Miracles of the Virgin Mary, an 18th century manuscript, of 159 pages with painting on nearly every page, measuring 15 inches  by 13 1/2 inches.
5.    MS Eth Windsor V: Miracles of the Virgin Mary, a large 242-page manuscript dated from around 1766, a particularly artistic manuscript, which includes a full page painting of the head of Christ, and containing a fine full page representation of the Qwer’ata Re’su, or Christ with the Crown of Thorns.
6.    MS Eth Windsor VI: The Four Gospels, a valuable manuscript composed of a copy of the Four Gospels, of over 188 pages, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, and beautifully handwritten.
“No Doubt” 
“There is no doubt about the origin of the above Windsor Castle manuscripts. Each of the six manuscripts listed above has a note indicating that it belonged to the Church of Madhane Alam- Emperor Tewodros’s church at Maqdala which was looted in April 1868.
“Elephants and Mules”
“The looting of Maqdala required fifteen elephants and 200 mules to carry it away. This looting was nothing other than an act of brute force. As the great British leader William Gladstone said in 1871, the looting and possession of these Ethiopian antiquities had no justification and was unlawful. These historical articles, as he said, had “no historical or cultural significance to us here in the UK”, and it is no surprise that little is known about them in our schools. However, to Ethiopians, they are invaluable symbols of their rich history and culture. It is their lawful heritage. Ethiopian children deserve to see these looted artefacts, with their own eyes, to understand and appreciate the cultural heritage from their ancestors.
“Mere Gestures” 
“There were some attempts to return some of the looted articles to Ethiopia, and those that succeeded were no more than mere gestures. In 1925, the British Foreign Office returned one of the crowns held in the Victoria and Albert Museum to the visiting Regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen- later Emperor Haile Sellassie. On her State Visit to Ethiopia in 1965, Queen Elizabeth presented Emperor Haile Sellassie with Tewodros’s cap and imperial seal.
“Lady Meux”
“A sad example of the manner in which Ethiopia has been deprived of her cultural heritage is the history  of Lady Valerie Meux, who was one of the most important private collectors of Ethiopian manuscripts. In her will, dated 13 January 1910, she left her entire collection of Ethiopian manuscripts to Emperor Menilek. However, opposition claiming that Emperor Menilek was dead at the time stopped the return. This was false since the Ethiopian monarch was in fact alive until December 1913. He also had heirs and the artefacts could have been returned to them. Sad to say, Lady Valerie Meux’s collection of Ethiopian manuscripts is still unlawfully retained outside Ethiopia.
“Efforts to obtain the restitution of the Maqdala loot from the British Library have been blocked over the years by the argument that this institution cannot return them without Parliament passing a law allowing restitution.
“Then why not pass this law?
“Many Ethiopians and people of good-will in Britain and elsewhere have long felt that the dispute between Emperor Tewodros and the British Government did not justify the looting of Maqdala.
“International justice requires that all looted Ethiopian antiquities be returned to Ethiopia. Demands for restitution have been made in recent years by the Association for the Return of Ethiopian Maqdala Treasures (AFROMET) which is based in both Ethiopia and Britain.
 ‘A perfect opportunity’
“The Ethiopian Millennium provides a perfect opportunity - and our wish for the Ethiopian Millennium is that the UK Government and Queen Elizabeth should return all Ethiopian historical artefacts to Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people.
“Yours Sincerely,
“Gabriel Berhanu Kassayie and friends
 Year 5
Rosary RC Primary School.
Haverstock Hill
London
That is Gabriel’s appeal to the British Government, and to the Queen. It is an appeal which is particularly relevant at a time when Ethiopia is about to enter the New Millennium.
Gabriel’s appeal is a challenge to us all - to see that Justice is done!
                   
Tony Blair’s Reply
Since writing the above Gabriel has just received a reply from Tony Blair - one of the last written before the latter’s departure from office.
His Aide, I. Jones, of the Direct Communications Unit writes:
“Dear Gabriel
“The Prime Minister has asked me to thank you for your recent letter about the return of Ethiopian artefacts to Ethiopia.
“He was pleased that you felt able to write and has asked that a careful note be made of your comments.
“Additionally, he has asked that your letter be passed to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport who have the responsibility for this subject so that they, too, are aware of your concerns, and can send you any comment they may direct.
“Yours Sincerely.
“O. Jones”