The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today voiced concern about the risks posed by the latest fighting in Mali to the World Heritage site of Timbuktu and called on the parties to safeguard the country's cultural heritage.
"Timbuktu's outstanding earthen architectural wonders that are the great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, must be safeguarded," UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova, said in a news release.
Fighting between Government troops and Tuareg rebels that resumed in January in northern Mali has forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Mali is also dealing with a coup by rebel Malian soldiers who took control of the country some 10 days ago and announced the dissolution of the Government led by President Amadou Toumani Toure.
Ms. Bokova said that the Timbuktu site, located in the country's north, along with its 16 cemeteries and mausolea are "essential to the preservation of the identity of the people of Mali and of our universal heritage."
Inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1988, the site bears witness to the golden age of Timbuktu in the 16th century and to a history that stretches even further back to the 5th century A.D., according to the agency.
Rebels have reportedly entered the site and shots have been heard there. Mali has three other world heritage sites beside Timbuktu: the Old Towns of Djenne, the Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) and the Tomb of Askia.
The Director-General recalled the internationally recognized obligation of countries to safeguard their heritage in times of war.
"I call both on the Malian authorities and on warring factions to respect the country's heritage and its commitment as a signatory of the 1972 World Heritage convention," she said.
According to the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols, armies must refrain from using or damaging cultural heritage properties in times of war.
"UNESCO stands ready to share its expertise and experience to help Mali ensure the safeguarding of Timbuktu," said Ms. Bokova.
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I PRAY MY BELOVED AFRICAN BROTHERS WHAT EVER THE PURSUASION THAT THEY LOOK AT THE GLORIOUS SITES OF GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE EARHT. WE MUST RECOGNISE THAT SCIENCE CANNOT DETERMINE HOW LONG THIS GREAT PLACE HAS BEEN; WE CAN DETERMINE THAT IN A CERTAIN TIMES THERE HAS BEEN RECORDSS KEPT. I WOULD LIKE AFRICA TO KNOW THAT LESSONS IN AFRICA FOR A VERY VERY LONG TIME WE ARE TALKINE MATHEMATICE SCIEBCE ASTRONOMY ASTROLOLOGY ARCHITECTURE MEDICINE ALL THESE THINGS WERE TAUGHT AND REVISION WAS DONE ORALY AND MENTALLY THEIR WAS NOW RITTEN RESORDS. AFRICAN HISTORY HAS ALONG AND ENDEARING HISTORY THESE FACTS MUST BEKNOWN TO MANKIND.THESE THINSG ARE NOT NEW AFRICA HAS HAD MOUNTAINS OF CITIES BUILT CITIES THAT A HAVE RISEN AND FELL. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VAST SAHAR THERE ARE CITIES BURIED DEEP IN THE SAHAR . AFRICA LIKE WE SEE IN FOREST AROUND THE GLOBE WHERE CIVILIZATION HAS BEEN ABANDONED THESE SAME THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ON , ON THIS EARTHN FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS. THERE IS NOTHING NEW ON THIS PLANET. AGAIN HOWEVER TIMBUKTU IS A STAEMENT TO ALL RACIST AND THOSE WHO LIKE TO BE SUPERIOR THAT THERE WAS A CITY THAT WAS REKNOWNED FOR ITS GREAT KEGACY OF TEACHING WRITINGS AND EDUICATION . THIS TRUTH WAS THE PLACE OF AFRICAN SCHOLLARS. WE ALSO MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE WERE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO SETTLED IN EUROPE AS THE MOORS. FURTHER FOR INFORMATION SOME OF BOOKS OF GREAT HISTORICAL DIMENSIONS HAS BEEN SENT TO EUROPE VIA TIMBUKTU. TIMBUKTU WAS INSTRUMENTAL INS ENDING ALIBRARY OF OVER 1,000,000 BOOKS. I HAVE HEARD SCHOLLARS OF LD SAY THAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEARNINGS AND TERACHING OF EGYPT THEY WERE THEIR RECORD KEEPERS. IT MUST ALSO BE KNOWN THAT EGYPT WAS NOT ISOLATED IN AFRICA EGYPT DIDI NOT HAVE THE GREAT BARRIERS THAT WERE PRESENTED I TODAY BS BORDERS THIS THINGS ARE NEW TO AFRICA THE WUROPEAN BROUGHT THSE IDEAS TO AFRICA IN THE NOT SO LONG PAST. THE TRUTH OF AFRICA WAS THAT AFRICA WAS INTEGRATED ; LET US LOOK IN EGYPT THERE WERE GREAT PLACES FOR VERY ANIMAL IN EGYPT THER WAS NOT AN ANIMAL THAT WAS NOT KNOWN TO THE EGYUPTIANS. THERE GOLD WAS MINED INETHIOPIA OR OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA THEY HAD THEIR ANIMALS BROUGHT FROM OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA. THIS SEPERATIONS AND DIVISIONS WE THE RACIST PLICIES OF A GREEDY EUROPEAN AN WESTERN POLITRIKS TO KEEP THE WEALTH AND HSITORY OF ALL AFRICA RELEGATED TO THE DUSTBINS OF HSITORY.WE MUST RESTRORE OUR SIGNIFICANCE TO WORLD HSITORY.THE TRTUH IS BEFORE US THEY CAN NOT CONTINUE TO DECIEVE THE WORLD. THE AFRICAN MUST BE RESLITIC TO KNOWING THAT MAINTINAING THESE GREAT SITE WOULD BE IN THEIR INTEREST. THESE SITES SHOULD BE VISISTED BY WESTERNERS AS AFRICANS ALIKE. AFRICA MUST BE FORCEFUL INTHEIR REPRESENTATIONS. WHEN THEY DIVLUGE HUISTORY IT IS COMON FOR THEM TO IMPLY THAT VERYTHING WE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DONE IT. THEY DONT RECOGNISE THAT THE SOMEELSE THAT DONE IT ALL WAS THE SAME BLACK AFRICANS THEY TRY SO HARD TO DENY.THEY HAVE SIGFICANTLY REMOVED US FROM EGYPT AS THOUGH EGYPT WAS NEW TO THEIR TIMES. EGYPT HAS BEEN BLACK FROM CREATION EVERYTHING CAME FROM ETHIOPIS THIS WAS WHERE OUR ORIGINS BEGAN.THE ISRAELITES WER THE ETHIOPIANS AS WERE TH EGYPTIANS WE MUST READ AMOS 9 OF THE BIBLE. AFRICA GREAT AFRICA THERE WE WILL FIND ALL OUR BEGINNINGSD LET US GIVE THANKS FOR THIS MOST WONDERFUL CONTINENT . AFRICA ON A WHOLE SHOULD BE PRERSERVED AS A WORLD HERITAGE SIGHT. EVERY WHERE IN AFRICA THERE IS HSITORY OF UNTOLD STORIES AND FACTS. LET US ALL PRAY AND LOVE THIS GLORIOUS MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE "PEACE AND LOVE BE UPON ALL AFRICA"