France Returns Skulls of Resistance Fighters from the Sakalava People to Madagascar After More Than a Century of Their Execution

In a symbolic step to end a painful chapter of its colonial history, France handed over to Madagascar three skulls belonging to the Sakalava people, including what is believed to be the skull of King Taher, who was publicly beheaded by French forces in 1897 after leading the resistance against the French invasion.

According to AFP, the skulls – which had been preserved in the Musée de l'Homme in Paris – were returned during an official ceremony held on Tuesday, August 26, in the presence of representatives from the island's authorities. This step marks the first practical application of the French law issued in 2023 regarding the return of human remains held by the state.

King Taher, one of the prominent leaders of the Sakalava, became a symbol of colonial violence in Madagascar after his execution, while the return of the skulls today is considered a historic milestone for the people of Madagascar in reconciling with the memory of the occupation that still casts its shadows more than a century later.