Return of colonial-era statue to DRC funds forest revival

Deforestationis a huge problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country is home to a large part of the Congo Basin, the second biggest rainforest in the world, after the Amazon. But for centuries, it's been declining in size, with the rate of deforestation increasing in recent years. Most trees are felled either for the timber industry, or to make way for palm oil or rubber plantations.

It's a trend that was started by the colonialists who cleared forest to set up plantations. A collective of artists has spent years seeking to rectify this wrong, using proceeds from their work to fund the planting of trees. The collective are currently displaying their works at the Venice Biennale. Earlier this year, they won a high-profile victory, securing the return of a colonial-era sculpture from a US museum. The "Balot" is now back in the DRC, albeit only on loan for six months. 

The statue depicts a colonial administrator who was killed in a workers’ revolt at a plantation in the 1930s. As such, it became a symbol of resistance to colonial rule. Its return not only redresses a past injustice, it's also helping to increase the collective's funding for reforestation.