La Directora General de la UNESCO pide freno a la destrucción del sitio del patrimonio mundial de Tombuctú
La Directora General de la UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expresó hoy su preocupación y consternación por la destrucción de tres tumbas sagradas que forman parte del sitio del patrimonio mundial de Tombuctú, al norte de Mali. Bokova pidió a los beligerantes que cesen la destrucción de inmediato.
“Me preocupa muchísimo la información que indica que los mausoleos de Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar y Alpha Moya han sido destruidos”, dijo la Directora General. “No hay justificación para esas destrucciones sin sentido. Pido a todas las partes implicadas en el conflicto que detengan estos actos terribles e irreversibles y que hagan prueba de la responsabilidad que les incumbe en la protección de este valiosísimo patrimonio cultural para disfrute de las generaciones futuras”, agregó.
La Directora General ha pedido en repetidas ocasiones protección internacional para estos sitios, testimonio de la edad de oro de Tombuctú en el siglo XVI y de una historia que se remonta hasta el siglo V de la Hégira.
Este sábado, la presidenta del Comité del Patrimonio Mundial, Eleonora Mitrofanova, (Federación de Rusia) describió esta destrucción como “una noticia trágica para todos nosotros, y mucho más para los habitantes de Tombuctú, que han cuidado y conservado sus monumentos durante más de siete siglos”.
El jueves 28 de junio, el Comité del Patrimonio Mundial, reunido en San Petersburgo, aceptó el pedido del gobierno de Mali e inscribió Tombuctú y la Tumba de los Askia en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial en peligro.
Mali
Decisions (1)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,
2. Congratulates the State Party for having immediately expressed its concern regarding the worsening threats to the World Heritage cultural properties, in particular to Timbuktu and the Tomb of Askia, and for having requested UNESCO assistance for measures to be undertaken in the event of a future deterioration of the situation;
3. Thanks the Director-General of UNESCO for having sent a mission to Mali to study with the State Party emergency measures to be taken to ensure the preservation of the World Heritage properties in Mali and takes note of the report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties in Mali threatened by armed conflict in the northern region of Mali;
4. Expresses its serious concern regarding the situation of armed conflict in the northern region of Mali and the seriousness of threats to the World Heritage properties following the degradation of the Timbuktu tombs, and the threats to the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Tomb of Askia;
5. Considers that the optimal conditions are not present anymore to ensure the preservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties of Timbuktu and the Tomb of Askia and that they are threatened by a specific and proven imminent danger, in accordance with Paragraph 179 of the Operational Guidelines;
6. Decides to inscribe Timbuktu (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
7. Also decides to inscribe the Tomb of Askia (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
8. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to prepare, in consultation with the State Party, all the corrective measures as well as a Desired State of Conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, once a return to stability is effective in the northern region of Mali;
9. Launches an appeal to the frontier States Parties to Mali (Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal) to cooperate in the preparation of a joint conservation strategy for World Heritage properties of Mali and to combat the illicit traffic of cultural objects, in particular those linked to these properties;
10. Also launches an appeal to the African Union and the CEDEAO in order that all the necessary measures may be undertaken to protect cultural heritage located in the northern region of Mali and to the international community to provide technical and financial support to ensure the strengthened protection of the World Heritage properties in Mali;
11. Encourages the State Party to request emergency funding from the World Heritage Fund to implement the priority actions identified during the UNESCO mission, and also requests the assistance of the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM to this end;
12. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2013, a detailed report on the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties in Mali and more particularly on the progress achieved regarding their Outstanding Universal Value for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.
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