The Fourniers sold their mask in September of 2021 to a second-hand dealer for 150 euros, court documents show. The mask is an extremely rare artifact of great spiritual value to the Gabonese people, Betoe Bi Evie told CNN. It was through this information that the dealer was able to deduce the origins of the mask, Mansat Jaffré, the lawyer, told CNN. “We think he (the dealer) already had an idea at the back of his head, and that he knew the mask was rare,” Mansat Jaffré told CNN. However, as the Ngil mask at the center of the ongoing trial wasn’t held in a public collection, Gabon cannot demand its restitution from France.

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Persons: Fournier, Fournier’s, René, Victor Edward Maurice Fournier, Frédéric Mansat Jaffré, ”, “, Mr Fournier’s, Olivia Betoe Bi Evie, Betoe Bi Evie, Betoe, Evie, Jaffré, Mansat Jaffré, Solange Bizeau, weren’t, Emmanuel Macron, Omar Tall, Mali –, wasn’t Organizations: France CNN, CNN, Gabonese, BFMTV, ”, Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilizations, restitutions Locations: Paris, France, Central Africa, Gabonese, Gabon, ”, Gabonese State, Africa, Saharan Africa, restituted, Benin, Senegal, Chad, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Mali