Overview

• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot symbolically handed over three prehistoric tools to Ethiopia's Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa during a visit to Addis Ababa's national museum.
• The artefacts, dating back 1 to 2 million years, were excavated from the Melka Kunture site near Ethiopia's capital under the direction of French researcher Jean Chavaillon.
• The transfer is described as a handover rather than a restitution, as the items were never part of France's public collections but were sent for study by mutual agreement.
• The full collection of 3,500 artefacts, currently stored at the French embassy in Addis Ababa, will be delivered to Ethiopia's Heritage Directorate on December 3, 2024.
• During his visit, Barrot also announced a €7 million project to support sustainable heritage development in Ethiopia, building on France's prior investments in preserving historic sites like Lalibela and the National Palace.