Saharawi Minister of Culture denounces the "plundering" of Western Sahara’s archaeological heritage by Morocco

The Saharawi Minister of Culture, Ms. Khadidja Hamdi, denounced the "plundering" of the archaeological heritage by the Moroccan colonial authorities in the occupied zones of Western Sahara, last Thursday in the Algerian Capital. "We have studies and material proofs on the Moroccan colonial authorities’ plundering of the Saharawi archaeological heritage, of which a big part is put in museums in the Moroccan cities, in Spain France and even in Germany", Ms. Hamdi declared in her address to the closing ceremony of the second meetings of the African Ministers of Culture. "The Moroccan authorities of occupation also encourage the degradation of this archaeological heritage", she affirmed, noting that these "practices that were denounced in the past are now frequent especially in the last two years". She recalled of the Medias campaign her ministry initiated to raise awareness of the international public opinion, especially the international organisations working on culture and human heritage such as UNESCO and the African Union’s Committee of Social and Cultural Affairs, about the necessity of saving the Saharawi heritage, which is a human legacy. "This is a call to help stop these barbarous practices and preserve the archaeological memory of the Saharawi people from a unbridled plundering", she said.

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