Talatona — Angolan Minister of Culture Filipe Zau announced on Tuesday in Luanda that Semba could be recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in December of this year in China, during the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The process is part of the Executive's efforts to value national culture and obtain new international recognitions.

In a press conference held to clarify the name of the Palace of Arts, on the occasion of the President of the Republic's fact-finding visit, the minister stated that Semba, as a dance and musical genre, brings together strong identity and cultural elements that support its candidacy for classification as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

He said that the country currently has several assets inscribed on the indicative list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a step considered fundamental for future international classifications.

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Among the assets with increasing value are the Massangano Fortress, in the Kwanza corridor, the Catumbela Fort, in Benguela, and a small fort located in the Cuanza-Sul province.

Filipe Zau also mentioned the Tchitundo-Hulu caves, in Namibe, with prehistoric rock paintings, and Cuito Cuanavale, a symbol of the liberation of Southern Africa, as heritage sites of high historical and cultural value.

Institutionally, projects such as the Museum of the Liberation Struggle, to be installed in the Penedo Fortress, and the Museum of Resistance, aimed at preserving national historical memory, are underway.

Currently, Angola has the Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo as a World Heritage Site and the Sona sand drawings as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to the minister, elevating national assets to world heritage status represents a strategic gain with an impact on the country's identity, tourism, and international projection. GIZ/DOC/DP/DOJ