ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- British museums have handed over a large number of looted artifacts to the Ethiopian Embassy in London, Ethiopian state-affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported on Friday.
The various artifacts, which include Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) tablets, a lock of hair of an Ethiopian prince, three cups made of silver and a shield, were handed over in a ceremony to Ethiopian Ambassador to Britain Teferi Melese on Thursday evening, according to the report.
The artifacts are expected to be returned to Ethiopia in the coming days.
According to the report, the ceremony was attended by EOTC representatives, members of the British parliament, and the Ethiopia National Heritage Restitution Committee (ENHRC). Established under the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism in November 2020, the ENHRC aims to restore the looted, stolen and illegally exported heritages.
A British expeditionary force that fought and defeated Emperor Tewodros II, an Ethiopian king, in 1868, looted a large number of artifacts in the aftermath of the battle. The Ethiopian government has been lobbying with some success for decades for the return of the looted artifacts which are stored in various British museums.
