Finland has returned two sacred historical stone fragments taken by Finnish missionaries during the colonial period.
The stones were taken from Ondonga, a traditional Ovambo kingdom in what is now northern Namibia.
The fragments were handed over to Namibia’s Education, Arts, and Culture Minister Anna Nghipondoka on Thursday by Finnish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara.
According to local media, they will be kept at the National Museum of Namibia before being returned to the Ondonga traditional community.
According to visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, the so-called “Ondonga Power Stone” is not only valuable to the Ondonga community but also a part of its identity and heritage.
The return of the stone, according to President Hage Geingob, should serve as a lesson to all those who “stole things from Africa.”
