Since the beginning of the Malian crisis in 2011, cultural heritage has been at risk for destruction, looting, and illicit trafficking. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague decreed that the destruction of heritage is a war crime due to the condemnation of Ahmad Al-Faqui Al Mahdi in August 2016 for the destruction of nine of the mausoleums of Timbuktu and the door of the Sidi Yahia Mosque in 2012 and 2013. Thus, protecting cultural heritage has become a matter of peace and security, directly linked to the protection of human lives. The army and the security forces are at the forefront of the conflict and thus play a vital role in protecting people and goods, especially cultural goods. Various legal instruments adopted by the international community frame this important task. It is within this framework of its mission of capacity-building and support to member states that UNESCO, in collaboration with the Malian government, is organizing several awareness-raising and training workshops for the military to familiarize with the tools at their disposal for ensuring protection of citizens and goods. Following this workshop, UNESCO is also organizing a training workshop on 21 – 26 November with the army on the importance of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in collaboration with the Ministry of Security, EUCAP-Sahel Mali, and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF). 

The Armed Forces and Security Training Workshop on the 1954 Convention was chaired by Ms N’Diaye Ramatoulaye Diallo, the Minister of Culture in Mali. The workshop brought together thirty representatives from the army, security, customs, and the local and national police. It was a chance to put the Convention into perspective and give it a practical dimension; by presenting and exchanging with participants on the basic concepts of the protection of cultural goods in the event of armed conflict. It was a chance to familiarize the armed forces with the system established by the 1954 Hague Convention and its protocols. 

Many of the participants were involved in military operations in northern Mali and thus the workshop led to a reflection on the necessity of integrating military intervention protocols and strategies on the protection of cultural property at all levels of the command chain. 

In the conclusion of this workshop, the participants adopted proposals for commitments for the attention of the Malian government through the Ministry of Culture, calling for the implementation of a number of measures promoting the protection of cultural heritage. Lastly, participants also called for the development of a capacity-building program for the National Defense and National Customs, which would integrate the teaching modules on heritage protection and UNESCO cultural conventions in training schools. 

Contacts :

M. Jan HLADÍK, Chef Section des traités pour la protection du patrimoine culturel, Division du Patrimoine j.hladik(at)unesco.org

M. Khalid ERMILATE, Spécialiste adjoint du programme, Section des traités pour la protection du patrimoine culturel, Division du Patrimoine k.ermilate(at)unesco.org

M. Ali Daou, Chargé de programme culture, Bureau de l'UNESCO à Bamako a.daou(at)unesco.org

Mrs Guiomar Alonso Cano, Head of the Culture Sector, UNESCO Dakar g.alonso(at)unesco.org