Asante gold looted by British forces worth £2 billion; Prof McCaskie reveals at symposium marking 150th anniversary of Sagrenti war
The value of the gold stolen by the British expeditionary forces during the 3rd Anglo-Asante war of 1874 could worth more than £2 billion presently, Professor Tom McCaskie, a professor of Asante History at the Centre of West Africa History, University of Birmingham, UK, has revealed.
Speaking at a symposium at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology ( KNUST) in Kumasi on Tuesday to mark the 150th anniversary of the war which is popularly known as Sagrenti war, Prof. McCastie said the stolen gold was up to some 400,000 ounces. “The Sagrenti war is a shameful episode in British history,” he stated.
Prof. McCastie said some of the items stolen by the British forces from the Asantehene’a palace were still on display in museums in the UK.
Otumfuo in attendance
The symposium was attended by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, other traditional leaders from Asanteman, members of the academia , students and other members of the public.
Power of Asante
Giving further details, Prof. McCastie who was the keynote speaker at the symposium said the British colonialists saw the growing power of the Asante Kingdom as a threat to their activities.
According to him, the Sagrenti war the first war fought by the British anywhere which was accompanied by a large number of British press, purposely to spread propaganda.
Discussants
Other discussant at the symposium were Prof Samuel Adu Gyamfi and Prof Eugenia Anderson , both of the Department of History and Political Studies of the KNUST, and Prof Samuel Ntewusu of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.
The symposium was moderated by Professor Emmanuel K. Acheampong, Professor of History and African American Studies at Harvard University.
Rich history
The Juabenhene and Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who chaired the function, said Asante has a lot to tell the world about its rich history. There was a cultural display on the war by a troupe from the Centre for National Culture, Kumasi.
