Ethiopia demands UK returns looted sacred objects

Tony Blair must return Ethiopian sacred objects and ancient artefacts looted by British troops more than a century ago and now locked up in museums and royal palaces, a leading scholar demanded today.

The British prime minister – scheduled to arrive in Ethiopia tomorrow to explore new ways of helping Africa – should repatriate rare religious books and manuscripts and hundreds of other Ethiopian treasures, historian Richard Pankhurst said in Addis Ababa.

“Blair was not guilty of looting the treasures but he is guilty of not returning them,” said Pankhurst who was honoured this year by England's queen for his services to advance Ethiopian studies.

Many of the sacred objects and artefacts were looted by rampaging British troops after beating the Ethiopian army at the Battle of Maqdala in 1868.

Among the most important items are a gold crown and chalice belonging to Emperor Tewodros II, some 350 manuscripts, 10 tabots, or altar slabs, and religious crosses.

The items are currently held mainly at the British Library and British Museum and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

England's royal family holds six religious manuscripts, which are said to be the finest examples of Ethiopian manuscripts anywhere in the world.

By far the most valuable item is one of two copies of the Kebra Negast – or Glory of Kings – Ethiopia’s holy book held in the British Library.

The Ethiopian Church and government has also been exerting diplomatic pressure on Britain to return the stolen items valued by Ethiopian campaigners at £1.7bn (€2.46bn).

Abuna Paulos, head of the 25 million strong Ethiopian Orthodox Church, says the sacred objects are the crux of religious belief in the country.

Britain says the law only permits repatriation of such items through a vote in Parliament. However, campaigners argue they could be returned on permanent loan without a vote.

Pankhurst said he plans to present Mr Blair with a letter calling for the return of the treasures.

“This looting was sacrilege in as much as it was looted from a church,” said the 76-year-old historian, who has lived in the Horn of Africa nation for the last four decades.

He said the British sensibility should be offended by the looting of Ethiopia’s holy sites and its conscience should press it to return the treasures.

“If the American troops in the recent war in Iraq had started looting mosques and taking things the world would have been outraged,” Pankhurst said.

During his three-day trip to Ethiopia, Mr Blair is set to attend the second session of his Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa.

The prime minister has promised to make the plight of Africa and climate change his twin focuses of his chairmanship next year of the Group of Eight industrialised nations.