Antananarivo, Sept. 2, 2025 — Madagascar has officially received the skulls of three Sakalava figures taken during the colonial era, including one believed to be that of King Toera, who was beheaded by French troops in 1897.
The remains, repatriated after 128 years in France, were handed over in Paris on August 27 under a 2023 French law enabling the restitution of human remains seized during colonial conquests. This marks the first restitution carried out under the new legislation.
The skulls—attributed to King Toera and two of his warriors—arrived in Madagascar late Monday. They were welcomed at the airport by members of the Sakalava community in traditional attire and placed in boxes draped with the national flag.
On Tuesday, a state ceremony was held at the Antananarivo Mausoleum, attended by President Andry Rajoelina, government officials, and Sakalava dignitaries. The skulls were carried by security servicemen before being placed in the mausoleum.
From the capital, the remains will be transported to Belo Tsiribihina, about 320 kilometers west, where final burial rites are expected later this week.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati stated during the Paris handover that while scientific studies confirmed the skulls belonged to the Sakalava people, it could only be “presumed” that one was indeed King Toera.
The skulls were originally taken to France as trophies and stored at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, alongside hundreds of other remains from Madagascar. The island nation gained independence from France in 1960 after more than six decades of colonial rule.
This restitution adds to France’s recent efforts to return cultural heritage and human remains taken during its imperial era, part of a broader reckoning with its colonial past.
