Timbuktu

• Occupation of the property by armed groups
• Lack of management structure at the site (problem resolved in 2019)
• Armed conflict

• Occupation of the property by armed groups
• Absence of management
• Destruction of 14 mausoleums and degradation of the three mosques in the serial property

In progress 

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6622 

In progress

Total amount granted: USD 100,000 from the Italian Funds-in-Trust; USD 55,000 from the UNESCO Emergency Fund; USD 37,516 from the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust; approximately USD 12 million in the framework of the “Action Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Cultural Heritage and the Safeguarding of Ancient Manuscripts” managed by UNESCO or bilaterally (including the European Union, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Croatia, Mauritius, Germany, Luxembourg, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEOMA), the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the African World Heritage Fund, ICOM); USD 480,934 from the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trust Fund for Victims for the “Rehabilitation and enhancement of protected buildings in Timbuktu” project; USD 15,000 from the International Alliance for Heritage Protection in Conflict Zones (ALIPH), Exceptional Relief Fund to support the heritage sector in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property (available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/119/documents/) providing the following information:

• The security context of the property remains precarious;
• Traditional methods of conservation have improved the physical conditions of the mosques;
• Projects financed by the European Union and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) encouraged the conservation of the property;
• Climate change is causing impacts such as the scarcity of traditional building materials, the combined effects of deforestation and silting of the Niger River, silting of the edges of mosques and cemeteries housing mausoleums, or erosion by extremely heavy rains;
• The proliferation of plastic waste at the property has been noted;
• The military fort of the Malian army and international forces is located less than 50 metres from the Djingareyber mosque; the protection barrier of the Malian army nearly touches the building and forces heavy machinery to pass by at the base of the walls;
• The lack of means of the Cultural Mission and traditional actors is affecting the conservation and management of the property;
• Traditional communities often solicit, and without consultation with the Cultural Mission, different partners for interventions that do not respect the heritage rules preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
• Exchange meetings between the stakeholders have made it possible to limit inappropriate interventions;
• The Djingareyber Mosque has benefitted from rehabilitation works of the main façade and doors in the large courtyard, measures to prevent silting and erosion of the walls, as well as a rewiring of the electrical circuit to prevent short circuits that could cause fires. Rehabilitation work was also carried out on the Sankoré and Sidi Yahia Mosques;
• The rehabilitation of Independence Square has progressed, and the provisional reception of the El-Farouk monument has taken place;
• Two training workshops on the involvement of communities in the management of existing properties (in Mopti) and on traditional architecture (in Timbuktu) were organized;
• The Cultural Mission is investing in awareness-raising amongst regional and municipal authorities on the importance of heritage protection and management;
• The Governor established a working committee composed of the State’s technical services and having as its main mission the enforcement of town planning regulations;
• The REFLET TOMBOUCTOU association supports awareness-raising on social networks and among traditional communities;
• As part of the compensation for victims of the destruction of mausoleums, the ICC Trust Fund for Victims has paid out funds to various individuals (mausoleum managers, guards and masons). The Cultural Mission is not involved. Collective reparations have not yet been implemented;
• The work on developing the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), carried out since 2022, will be finalized during 2023.

The report provided by the State Party on the property contains information on the continuity of conservation, management and awareness-raising measures carried out with traditional actors, notably the mosque management committees and the masons' guild in a still precarious security context.

It provides information on a certain number of measures regarding previously identified priorities, although it is not clear which ones apply to the period since the last decision of the World Heritage Committee. Thus, the rehabilitation and maintenance works undertaken on some parts of the three mosques are welcomed, notably on the Djingareyber Mosque, which has seen several interventions that had indeed become urgent, such as the repair of the façades and doors, and interventions on the electrical installations. However, no details have been provided on this work or how they are documented. To protect the authenticity of the mosques, documentation is needed to justify the interventions and demonstrate how traditional methods and materials have been deployed. It appears that climate change is further aggravating the supply of traditional building materials, and there remains a need to establish plantations to ensure a sustainable supply of appropriate timber.

It is especially reassuring to learn that increased attention is being paid to the importance of traditional conservation measures, including the monitoring and accountability of the various actors. As such, the exchange meetings between stakeholders making it possible to limit inappropriate interventions, and training workshops on the involvement of communities in the management of listed properties are welcomed. This deserves to be further strengthened, as indicated by the observation that the lack of knowledge about World Heritage leads traditional communities to seek support, without prior consultation with the Cultural Mission. for interventions that do not respect the heritage rules preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the property,

It has also been noted with satisfaction that the Cultural Mission seems to have increased the awareness of the municipal and regional authorities on the importance of heritage protection and management. In this context, and as requested by the Committee in 2021, the setting up by the Governor of a working commission composed of the State's technical services with the main mission of enforcing the town planning regulations is appreciated. Similarly, the support of the REFLET TOMBOUCTOU association in raising awareness on social networks and among traditional communities shows the important added value of the contribution of civil society in the promotion of heritage, which should be further encouraged.

Furthermore, noting that the management and conservation plan for the property expired in 2022 and will need to be updated, the Committee should request the State Party to submit the draft updated management plan to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The continued silting of the mosques linked to silting of the Niger River due to deforestation remains a concern, and strategic actions are urgently needed to consider how to address this issue at the appropriate regional scale.

Particular attention should urgently be paid to the protection of the cemeteries and the cleanliness of their immediate surroundings. The implementation of development projects around the Djingareyber Mosque, without prior impact studies, could in the very short term impair its Outstanding Universal Value, and should be avoided.

It is noted with appreciation that the DSOCR is currently being finalized. This initiative, consisting of a capacity-building programme and remote and on-site support, led by CRAterre-ENSAG (Grenoble/France) and a national consultant in partnership with the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DNPC), and covering all three Malian properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, is implemented within the framework of the World Heritage Centre's "Strategy for developing the desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) in the Africa Region 2021-21025", which is financially supported by the Government of Norway in several African countries. This process is therefore welcomed and will further orient the property towards a state of conservation favouring its removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

In the meantime, it is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger and continue to apply the Reinforced Monitoring Mechanism for the property.