Lesotho’s Requests for Basotho Heirlooms Held Abroad

Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm wei wɔ Asante Twi mu

Lesotho Ahemman, a ɛyɛ ɔman a ɛnni po a ɛwɔ Afrika Anafoɔ fam no, de ne ho ahyɛ Afrikafoɔ amammerɛ mu nnoɔma a wɔde gye wɔn agyapadeɛ, wɔn nananom a wɔawuwu, ne nneɛma kronkron a wɔfow anaa wɔfa fii wɔn nsam bere a na wɔdi amammerɛ ase no mu. Saa mmɔdemmɔ yi gyina Basotho agyapadeɛ a ɛyɛ abakɔsɛm, honhom mu, ne sɛnkyerɛnne kwan so nneɛma a Basothofo wɔ amammerɛ ne amammuisɛm ho mfasoɔ kɛseɛ no so. Saa ɔsatu yi ne nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛte saa a ɛwɔ Afrika ne wiase nyinaa hyia, baabi a nnipa a na wɔdi kan yɛ wɔn amammerɛ no rehwehwɛ sɛ wɔsan de wɔn sika ma wɔn, na wɔsan de wɔn kɔ wɔn kurom.

Abakɔsɛm a Ɛfa Amammerɛ Ahwere Ho

Wɔ afeha a ɛto so 19 ne afeha a ɛto so 20 no mfitiaseɛ no, nnwumakuo a na wɔdi amammerɛ so, asɛmpatrɛfoɔ, ne wɔn a wɔboaboa nnoɔma ano no faa Basothofo nneɛma a wɔde yɛɛ adansi no pii. Eyinom mu bi ne ahemfo agyapade, akodeɛ, ntadeɛ, ne nyamesom nnoɔma, a na wɔde pii akɔ akorae ne ankorɛankorɛ nnoɔma a wɔaboaboa ano wɔ Europa, titire United Kingdom no. Atetesɛm nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔnam asɛmpatrɛ adwuma ne nnisoɔ a wɔde dii dwuma so sɛee no ma ɛyɛɛ mmerɛ sɛ wobeyi agyapadeɛ yi afiri hɔ, mpɛn pii no a na wɔn ani nnye ho anaa wɔhyɛ wɔn so^[1].

Nnoɔma a agye din paa a wɔhweree no bi ne nneɛma a wɔde kaa Ɔhene Moshoeshoe I, Basotho man no wura no ho. Wɔfaa nneɛma te sɛ n'ankasa nneɛma, atade a na ɔhyɛ, ne ahene agyiraehyɛde, na seesei wɔde gu Europa ahyehyɛdeɛ ahodoɔ mu. Wɔn a wonni hɔ no, ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔama amammerɛ ayɛ kwa kɛkɛ, na mmom wɔama amanne ne nneyɛeɛ ahodoɔ a egyina saa nnoɔma yi so sɛ ɛbɛyɛ nea ɛfata na ɛbɛkɔ so no nso asɛe^[2].

Ɔfrɛ a Wɔfrɛ Wɔn sɛ Wɔnsan Mmra

Mfe kakra a atwam ni no, Lesotho abisa sɛ wɔmfa Basotho agyapade no mma wɔn. Aban mpanyimfo, amammerɛ agyapade ho akyitaafo, ne ahemfo abusua no ananmusifo a wobu tete nneɛma yi a wɔasan de aba no sɛ abrabɔ fam ne abakɔsɛm mu ade a ɛho hia no na wɔabɔ mmɔden yi. Nea ɛma wɔsan kɔ wɔn man mu no gyina hɔ ma nhyehyɛe a wɔde reyi nnipa afi wɔn amammerɛ ase no. Ɛno ne sɛ wɔbɛsan ama aman a kan na wɔyɛ wɔn amammerɛ no anya nidi, wɔn ho adwempa, ne abakɔsɛm mu nokware.

Lesotho National Museum and Art Gallery (LNMAG) a wɔbuee no afe 2022 no adi dwuma titiriw wɔ saa nhyehyɛe yi mu. Ne botae titiriw biako ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔasan de nneɛma a wɔasan de aba no akɔ fie, na ɛnam so ama wɔne Basothofo no ne wɔn agyapade a wɔde nsa hu no anya abusuabɔ bio. Tete nneɛma akorae no a wɔhyehyɛ no hyɛ Lesotho asɛm a ɛne sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsan de nneɛma no ma no mu den, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ seesei, ahyehyɛde bi wɔ hɔ a ɛbɔ nneɛma a wɔsan de ma no ho ban na wɔda no adi^[3].

Mmara ne Abrabɔ Ho Nsɛm

Amanaman ntam mmara a ɛboa ma wɔsan de Lesotho kɔ wɔn man mu no bi ne UNESCO Apam a ɛfa nneɛma a wɔde ba ɔman no mu a wɔmmfa nni dwuma, a wɔde kɔ aman foforo so a wɔmmfa nni dwuma, ne agyapade a wɔde kɔ aman foforo so a wɔmmfa nni dwuma no ho, ne UNIDROIT Apam a ɛfa agyapade a wɔwia anaa wɔde kɔ aman foforo so wɔ ɔkwan a ɛmfata so (1995) no. Saa apam ahorow yi hyɛ aman no nkuran sɛ wɔmfa akwan bi so mfa nsane amammerɛ agyapade a wɔfa fii wɔn nsam wɔ nniso ase no.

Bio nso, abrabɔ ho akyinnyegye a ɛrekɔ so wɔ Atɔe fam tete nneɛma akorae ne nhomanimfo mu no mu ayɛ den, na ahyehyɛde ahorow te sɛ British Museum ne Pitt Rivers Museum no rehyia nhyɛso a emu yɛ den sɛ wobetu wɔn nneɛma a wɔde asie no ase. Bere a nnwuma no mu bi asiw wɔn kwan sɛ wɔremfa wɔn nkɔ wɔn man mu koraa, na wɔde mmara mu nsonsonoe anaa hu a wɔhaw wɔn wɔ wɔn ahobammɔ ho no, afoforo de wɔn ho ahyɛ nkɔmmɔbɔ mu anaa wɔde nneɛma a wɔabɔ ho bosea bere tenten anaa wɔsan de ama wɔn bere nyinaa^[4].

Nea Agyapade no Kyerɛ

Basotho agyapade no nyɛ tete nneɛma bi kɛkɛ - ɛyɛ Basotho man no honhom fam, amanyɔsɛm, ne amammerɛ. Wɔn a wɔbɛsan aba no ho hia na ama wɔatumi ayɛ nsakrae wɔ abakɔsɛm mu, ama wɔatumi anya amammerɛ foforo, na wɔatumi atete afoforo. Amanne ahorow pii, a ahemmotiri ahemmotiri ne nananom amanne ahorow ka ho no hwehwɛ sɛ wɔde ahyɛnsode ahorow ne nneɛma kronkron bi a wɔde di dwuma no di dwuma ansa na wɔagye wɔn atom. Sɛ nneɛma yi nni hɔ a, atetesɛm no kɔ so^[5].

Bio nso, agyapade a ɛte saa a wɔsan gye no boa ma ɔman no nya ahosɛpɛw, na ɛma wɔn ho tɔ wɔn. Bere a Lesotho kɔ so kyerɛ ne nipaban wɔ wiase mu no, amammerɛ agyapadeɛ di dwuma titiriw wɔ ɔmanfo gyinapɛn, biakoyɛ, ne ahofadi ho.

Ɔhaw ahodoɔ ne kwan ahodoɔ a wobɛfa so asɔ ano

Ɛmfa ho sɛ Lesotho wɔ abrabɔ fam ne mmara fam mmoa no, ne mmɔden a ɔrebɔ no hyia nsɛnnennen pii. Eyinom bi ne amanni mu akwanside ahorow, nneɛma a ayera ho kyerɛwtohɔ a emu da hɔ a enni hɔ, ne nneɛma a agyinatufo no bi asiw ano. Sika ne mfiridwuma mu nsɛnnennen a Lesotho wɔ no nso ka sɛnea Lesotho tumi di nnoɔma a wɔde ma no ho dwuma, de fa nneɛma, na ɛkora so no.

Nea ɛbɛyɛ na Lesotho atumi adi akwanside ahorow yi so no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɛhyɛ n'amammerɛ mu nkitahodi mu den, ne Afrika aman foforo a wɔhwehwɛ sɛ wɔde nneɛma a wɔsɛee no san ma no no yɛ baako, na ɛboa amanaman ntam ahyehyɛde te sɛ UNESCO ne ICOM (International Council of Museums). Nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ no betumi ayɛ nhwehwɛmu akɔ akyiri de akyerɛkyerɛ nneɛma a ayera no mu, na wɔama ɔmanfo ne aman foforɔ nso ahu nea enti a ayera no ho asɛm.

Baabi a menyaa mmoa

↑ RICK ROHDE (2000-03), "RICH PICKINGS AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Miscast: Negotiating the Presence of the Bushmen. Edited by P<scp>IPPA</scp> S<scp>KOTNES</scp>. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press, 1996. Pp. 383. £39.95/$49.95 (ISBN 0-7992-1652-6).", The Journal of African History, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 131–172, doi:10.1017/s0021853799307684, ISSN 0021-8537, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 97 (help)
↑ Kathryn Lafrenz Samuels (2013-03), "Mobilizing Heritage in the Maghrib: Rights, Development, and Transnational Archaeologies", Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 150–151, doi:10.1080/0067270x.2012.756741, ISSN 0067-270X, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ National D-Day Museum Opens in New Orleans, 2000, retrieved 2025-07-29
↑ Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-29
↑ Webber Ndoro, Gilbert Pwiti (2001-01), "Heritage management in southern Africa: Local, national and international discourse", Public Archaeology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 21–34, doi:10.1179/pua.2001.2.1.21, ISSN 1465-5187, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[1] RICK ROHDE (2000-03), "RICH PICKINGS AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Miscast: Negotiating the Presence of the Bushmen. Edited by P<scp>IPPA</scp> S<scp>KOTNES</scp>. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press, 1996. Pp. 383. £39.95/$49.95 (ISBN 0-7992-1652-6).", The Journal of African History, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 131–172, doi:10.1017/s0021853799307684, ISSN 0021-8537, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 97 (help)

[2] Kathryn Lafrenz Samuels (2013-03), "Mobilizing Heritage in the Maghrib: Rights, Development, and Transnational Archaeologies", Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 150–151, doi:10.1080/0067270x.2012.756741, ISSN 0067-270X, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[3] National D-Day Museum Opens in New Orleans, 2000, retrieved 2025-07-29

[4] Mathilde Pavis, Andrea Wallace (2019), "Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report: Statement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Relevant to the Digitization and Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Associated Materials", SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3378200, ISSN 1556-5068, retrieved 2025-07-29

[5] Webber Ndoro, Gilbert Pwiti (2001-01), "Heritage management in southern Africa: Local, national and international discourse", Public Archaeology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 21–34, doi:10.1179/pua.2001.2.1.21, ISSN 1465-5187, retrieved 2025-07-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]