Ghana pipo happy as dem display di 'crown jewels' wey British loot

One ceremonial cap, wey dey known as denkyemke, dey among di items British forces take from di Ashanti kingdom for di 19th Century
Wetin we call dis foto, One ceremonial cap wey courtiers dey wear for coronations dey among di items now on display for Kumasi

Looted artefacts from di Asante kingdom finally dey on display for Ghana, 150 years afta British colonisers take dem.

Plenty Ghanaians gada for Manhyia Palace Museum for Kumasi, di capital of Asante region, to welcome di 32 items wey come back di kontri.

"Dis na beta day for Asante. A day for di Black African continent. Di spirit we share don come back," Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II tok.

UK bin only loan di items to Ghana for three years.

However, dem fit extend di loan.

Di agreement dey between two British museums - di Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and British Museum – plus di Asante king, di Ghanaian goment no get hand for di agreement.

Di Asante king, or Asantehene, dey seen as symbol of traditional authority, and e dey believed say e carry di spirits of im predecessors. But im kingdom now na part of Ghana modern democracy.

"Our dignity dey restored," Henry Amankwaatia, one retired police commissioner and proud Asante, tell BBC, ova di sound of jubilant drumming.

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Composite image show gold model harp

Wia dis foto come from, British Museum

Wetin we call dis foto, Dem give one gold model harp (top left) to di British Museum for di early 19th Century. But di gold torc (right) and sword of state dey among di looted artefacts

Di return of di artefacts bin happun di same time dem dey celebrate di silver jubilee of di Asantehene.

Dem describe some of di items wey dem loot during di Anglo-Ashanti wars for di 19th Century, including di famous Sargrenti War of 1874 as "Ghana crown jewels".

Dem give di British Diplomat oda items like di gold harp (Sankuo) for 1817.

"We accept di very painful history wey surround di acquisition of these objects. History wey dey soiled by scars of imperial conflict and colonialism," Dr Tristam Hunt, director of di Victoria and Albert Museum, wey travel go Kumasi for di ceremony tok.

Among di returned artefacts na di sword of state, gold peace pipe and gold badges wey di officials wey dey charged wit cleansing di soul of di king dey wear.

"These treasures don bear witness to triumph and trials of di great kingdom and dia return to Kumasi na testament to di power of cultural exchange and reconciliation" Dr Hunt tok.

Midnight knife (L) and gold badges (R)
Wetin we call dis foto, Dem use di midnight knife (L) for covert operations. Di king soul washers dey wear di gold badges

One of di returned items, di sword of state, wey dem also dey call "mpompomsuo sword" hold great significance for di Asante pipo.

E serve as sword of office dem dey use swear oath of office to di kingdom by paramount chiefs and di king himself.

Royal historian Osei-Bonsu Safo-Kantanka tell BBC wen UK pipo carry di items from Asante, e be like say dem take away "a portion of our heart, our feeling, our whole being".

Di return of di artefacts dey as controversial as e dey significant.

Under UK law, national museums like di V&A and British Museum dey banned from permanently giving back contested items for dia collections, and loan deals like dis one dey seen as way to allow objects return to dia kontris of origin.

Some kontris wey dey lay claim to disputed artefacts fear say accepting loans fit mean say dem dey accept say na UK be di owners of di artefacts.

Many Ghanaians want make di ornaments remain permanently for dia kontri.

However, dis new arrangement na way to overcome British legal restrictions.

African kontris don repeatedly call for di return of looted items and some of dem don regain ownership of dia precious historical artefacts in recent years.