UNESCO pledges to rebuild Mali’s vandalised heritage
The United Nations has promised to help rebuild Mali’s cultural heritage destroyed by Islamist militants.
As the rebels fled from French and Malian forces, they destroyed many of Timbuktu’s legendary world heritage sites. In acts reminiscent of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Islamists had bulldozed mausoleums and burned some ancient manuscripts.
Although, the vast majority of Timbuktu’s ancient manuscripts have apparently been unharmed, many vital documents and books have been torched.
Sane Chirfi, a former researcher at the Islamic Research Institute said: “There is geometry, medicine, history, geography, fairy tales. And what’s more secret than this are the sale certificates for slaves and the expropriation certificates.”
http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/02/unesco-pledges-to-rebuild-mali-s-vandalised-heritage/
The retreating rebels apparently burned the 'wrong' museum, not the one with the most cultural artifacts. Still it is good for UNESCO to help rebuild what was lost.