Preparatory assistance for the inscription of The forest and the residential encampments of the Aka Pygmies of the Central African Republic

The Aka Pygmies are considered the very first inhabitants of the Central African Republic. They live in the Mongoumba Forest, of Lobaye.

A preparatory assistance mission, under the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, was undertaken from 4 to 14 December 2007, at the request of the Central African Republic, to assist the State Party in the preparation of a nomination. It allowed an analysis of the property and identified stakeholders that could ensure its management. The expert identified certain issues requiring further improvement or specification, such as the description of the property and justification of the selected criteria.

A workshop was organised on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, in order to rediscuss the criteria initially proposed for nomination. The forest and the residential encampments of the Aka Pygmies of the Central African Republic were inscribed on the Tentative List in 2006, but there was no follow up to this activity.