“We need a courageous intervention from the international community,” says Oumar Yamadou Diallo. The archaeologist fears for the cultural heritage of the African country, which is threatened by jihadists.
Interview by
Jonathan Fischer
Mali is going through its biggest crisis since independence in 1960. Last year the military took power by a corrupt government, since then the country has been economically devastated and internationally largely isolated. The state controls little more than the larger cities: Jihadist and other armed groups regularly carry out attacks and terrorize the rural population. Now they are also threatening Mali’s cultural world heritage. Oumar Yamadou Diallo, archaeologist, historian and former exhibition director of the Malian National Museum, on the endangerment of centuries-old religious places of worship and traditions.