France, Guinea wants its heroes back

Issue #398: The literal skulls of Guinea's anticolonial resistance fighters are still in France, and apparently, one was only found because Guinean researchers found out that his name had been misspelled. Who are they and why now? That's the focus of this week's issue.

Also this week: New election rules for Sierra Leone, Taliban's celebrating "Victory Day" in India, a new international alliance against abortion as a right (and of course, Argentina is part of it), Tanzania's most prominent opposition politician is still on trial, and so much more.

Editorial closing date: Sunday, August 16, 2026. This newsletter has been edited by Jonathan Ramsay.

The actual skulls of Guinea's anticolonial resistance fighters are still in France

What happened:
Guinea has asked France to return the skulls of four 19th-century anticolonial resistance fighters.

Why this matters: Dignity.

Tell me more:
The request was made three weeks ago, on July 27, by Moussa Moïse Sylla, Guinea's Minister of Culture. This was made possible because the French Parliament passed a law in 2023 on the restitution of human remains.

The ministry also called for the return of the Quran and personal effects of another anti-colonial figure, Samory Touré. Touré died in exile in Gabon in 1900.

Who are the four fighters?

• Boubacar Biro, one of Guinea's historic leaders. He ruled a Muslim state in Guinea (called Futa Jallon, founded in 1725) and fought against French colonization for years. When the French finally defeated and killed him in 1896, they cut off his head to scare people off and make it clear that his resistance (and his line of leadership) was over. It was sent to Paris. The same thing happened to his son, his brother and one of his lieutenants. He is known as Bokar Biro. There's also a bust of him in Conakry, Guinea's capital. "Today, in the name of sovereignty, it is essential to return his skull. He is a multifaceted hero. He was a warrior leader, a resister, and a major Muslim scholar. Honoring him means bringing his story back to life," explained Sylla.
• Mody Sory, Bokar Biro's son.
• Tierno-Siré, Bokar Biro's brother.
• Satigui Modou, one of Bokar Biro's lieutenants.

Did you know? There are 18,000 skulls and human remains in the basement of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, writes Le Monde. Some came from France, but many were taken from countries that France once colonized. No one knows exactly how many of these remains were taken as trophies during wars.

Why now?
Guinea's government has got big plans. It created two groups focusing on Bokar Biro and Touré. The groups include researchers, government officials, and members of the two leaders' families. They are trying to find objects that were taken from Guinea and are now kept in other countries: in France, the UK, the U.S., and Senegal, for example. If found, Guinea does not intend to exhibit the skulls in a museum because doing so is considered disrespectful in Guinean culture. Instead, they will be buried in Futa Jallon according to local and Islamic traditions. Expect this story to conclude in a few years.

"Fun" fact: France did not actively tell Guinea that it had Bokar Biro's skull. The family and the Guinean government searched for him for years. In 2021, Guinean researchers basically found out that the museum had spelled his name wrong, as "Byro" (with a y). Mohamed Amirou Conté, who leads Guinea's National Museum, was shocked to learn that Biro's head had been taken there. "It is an act that we, Guineans, still do not understand."

Good to know: ...