In 2018, the President of the French Republic, at the proposal of the museum and the Ministry of Culture, announced the restitution of 26 works from the royal treasury in Abomey - the spoils of war of General Dodds taken from the palace burned down by King Béhanzin after the fighting of the Second Franco-Dahomean War in 1892 - to the Republic of Benin.
The bill was presented to the Council of Ministers on 15 July 2020. It was unanimously adopted at first reading in the French National Assembly on 6 October 2020 and adopted with amendments by the French Senate on 4 November 2020. Following this legislative process, the bill was passed into law by the National Assembly on 17 December 2020.
The administrative authorities had one year maximum, from entry into force of the text, to transfer these works to the Republic of Benin.
On 9 November 2021, the transfer of ownership was signed at the Élysée Palace by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Patrice Talon.
The 26 works arrived in Benin the following day, where the official reception ceremony was held.
This process was conducted in complete collaboration with the Beninese authorities and the Beninese curators in charge of the works.