Ongoing instability is destroying Mali’s cultural heritage – report

There is a growing collaboration between organised crime networks and extremist groups in the region and Mali itself.

CAPE TOWN, June 24 (ANA) – Archaeologists estimate that 90% of Mali’s cultural sites have been looted since the outbreak of conflict in the West African country in 2012, a new report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has found.

Mali is a country rich in heritage and cultural artefacts.

The illegal trade in artefacts occurs in the context of severe insecurity in the region and in Mali itself. There is a growing collaboration between organised crime networks and extremist groups, said ISS Africa.

ISS Africa said that without a single prosecution, the illegal trade in artefacts is causing a “catastrophic” loss for Mali.

“The subjective value of art makes it difficult to say how much it is all worth,” said Julia Stanyard, an analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.

The rise in illegal trade in African archaeological and cultural objects can also be linked to online groups, which are now playing a vital role in antiquities trafficking, according to a report by research institute Enact Africa in December.

The research institute said Mali’s National Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the police are legally mandated to protect archaeological sites, but insecurity and limited capacity have made their work nearly impossible, since sites are not easily accessible.

According to researchers, the monitoring of this criminal activity online is poor and antiquities crime is not a priority for those enforcing social media guidelines.

In July 2020, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) warned art lovers in market countries of a false certification scam involving the illegal trade in African antiquities.

Increased prosecution should be at the centre of a broader, more comprehensive response, said ISS Africa.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher