By John Ikani
Finland has taken a step towards righting the wrongs of the colonial period by returning two fragments of sacred stones to Namibia.
The Finnish missionaries had taken the fragments from Ondonga, a traditional kingdom of the Ovambo people, located in northern Namibia.
The official handover ceremony was conducted by the Finnish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jukka Salovaara, who presented the stones to Namibia’s Education, Arts, and Culture Minister, Anna Nghipondoka.
The sacred artifacts will be kept at the National Museum of Namibia until they are eventually returned to the Ondonga traditional community.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö who is on a state visit to Namibia acknowledged the importance of the “Ondonga Power Stone” to the Ondonga community, describing it as an essential part of their identity and heritage.
Namibian President Hage Geingob welcomed the return of the stones and hoped that it would serve as an example to those who had taken things from Africa.
