• Malawi’s Mount Mulanje and Cameroon’s Diy-Gid-Biy added to UNESCO World Heritage List

• Africa still holds 25% of endangered sites, despite recent removals

• UNESCO boosts 2025 Africa funding to 27% under "Priority Africa" strategy

On Friday, July 11, two African sites officially joined the UNESCO World Heritage List: Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi and the Diy-Gid-Biy cultural landscape of the Mandara Mountains in northern Cameroon. Their inscription was confirmed during the 47th extended session of the World Heritage Committee, which is ongoing in Paris until July 16.

Diy-Gid-Biy cultural landscape (Cameroon)

This recognition comes in a week when UNESCO also removed several African sites from its list of World Heritage in Danger. The Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar, the Abu Mena site in Egypt, and Old Ghadames in Libya are no longer considered under immediate threat. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called this "a major victory for all."

Africa’s Heritage Still Under Pressure

Despite these encouraging developments, Africa still accounts for nearly a quarter of all endangered World Heritage sites, even though it hosts only 9% of total listed sites. Armed conflict remains a significant and direct threat. In Sudan, clashes between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces have affected several heritage sites.

Authorities in Nile State reported Rapid Support Forces incursions into the archaeological zones of Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, near Meroe Island. These sites, over 2,000 years old and linked to the ancient Kingdom of Kush, now face serious risks of looting, vandalism, and destruction.

Musawwarat es-Sufra (Sudan) site

Between 2012 and 2013, armed Islamist groups damaged or destroyed mausoleums and monuments in Timbuktu, Mali, with little regard for the site’s outstanding universal value. UNESCO had inscribed Timbuktu as a World Heritage site in 1988.

Beyond conflict, climate change, rapid urbanization, and weak protective legislation across many African nations further increase the vulnerability of cultural and natural heritage sites.

A More Inclusive Strategy

In response to these challenges, UNESCO has allocated over 27% of its 2025 budget to Africa as part of its "Priority Africa" strategy. One of the most significant milestones occurred in May with the adoption of the Nairobi Document. This document promotes a broader and more inclusive recognition of African heritage, including oral traditions and living cultural practices, in the criteria for World Heritage inscription.

Still, the case of Timbuktu serves as a stark reminder that UNESCO listing alone does not guarantee protection. Active engagement from local and national stakeholders, coupled with effective implementation of preservation strategies, is essential to safeguard these irreplaceable archaeological and cultural treasures.

Servan Ahougnon