It has been revealed that the World Monuments Fund has enlisted Somaliland’s Las Geel Rock Art prehistoric site on their Watch List of endangered world heritage. This revelation was made two days ago in Paris by Miss Maryan Ibrahim Abdi during a Press conference organised by Somaliland Heritage (SH) at the Centre for African Research of the Sorbonne University. Miss Abdi who heads Somaliland Heritage said the recognition of Las Geel prehistoric site by the World Monument Fund will help raise awareness locally and internationally for the necessity of preserving and protecting such sites in the entire region of east Africa and the horn of Africa in particular. The Las Geel prehistoric site was already victim of her prominence and at such, has suffered profound degradations and theft by both locals and international visitors who are in search of prehistoric artefacts, she revealed.

She added that, the enlistment of Las Geel prehistoric site on the Watch List of endangered World Heritages will help put Somaliland on tourist maps of the region. Insisting that tourists are welcomed in Somaliland for their presence will raise local consciousness on the need to preserve their culture and other prehistoric sites and more, bring money into a country that does not receive financial aide from the IMF, the World Bank or any other donor organisations. Speaking at Press conference also was Dr Gaetano Palumbo who is director: Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, he said 14 prehistoric sites from 14 African countries have been enlisted on the Watch List of the World Monument Fund (WMF) that has on its list 100 top endangered prehistoric sites around the globe. He also said those 100 top endangered prehistoric sites enlisted on their Watch List, will stay on their list for a period of two years.

He also said the good news about the Watch List of WMF is the increase presence of African prehistoric sites especially those from sub-Saharan Africa. According him, the presence of African prehistoric site on the Watch list of the WMF was an indication that, Africans in general and sub-Saharan Africans in particular were taking their history seriously. He concluded that, the presence of African prehistoric sites will not only increase the aware of African history to Africans and the world, it may contribute to change or re-write the way the history of Africa has always been written, perceive and presented by others. Another speaker at the Press conference was Dr. Bertrand Hirsch, who is Director of the Centre for African Research of the Sorbonne University. He said he was leading a solid team of some best European researchers who are making an inventory of Somaliland and the horn of Africa prehistoric sites. Dr Hirsch concluded by saying that, at the end of the research, the prehistoric history of the Horn of Africa and the entire east Africa will be rewritten.

The final speaker at the Press conference was Mr Mohammed Egueh Abdi, chair of the Somaliland Association in France. He revealed that, although Somaliland was a former British colony most Somalilanders fought alongside French forces during the Second World War. He added that, because of the bravery of the Somaliland military unit during the WW11, French commanders handed the training of France’s African military units to Somalilanders. He concluded that in spite the sacrifices of Somalilanders for France, they don’t want to appropriate French history as most French-speaking Africans are currently doing. But what they (Somalilanders) want is for France to recognise Somaliland. But the single revelations on the role of Somaliland’s soldiers during the Second World War on the side of France, may call for the re-examination and even re-write the entire history and the role of French-speaking African countries such as Algeria and Senegal in the liberation of France.

Robot  # 1 | 16.07.2007 16:56

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