2023-08-28 18:19:18
The kings of Buganda should finally be able to rest in peace. Monday, August 28, Unesco recommended removing their tombs, located on the heights of the Ugandan capital, from the list of world heritage in danger. They had been there since a terrible fire in 2010, which had devastated this high place of architecture but also of spirituality for the Baganda people, who account for nearly 17% of the population of Uganda.
Only site removed from the list of World Heritage in Danger
The 21 Member States of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee must still validate the recommendation in September. But already, the announcement is a strong symbol for Uganda as much as for Africa, which has 27% of the 55 sites on the list of heritage sites in danger. The tombs of Kasubi (from the name of the district which hosts them) should indeed be the only one to be removed from all continents. An exception that intends to highlight the quality of their reconstruction but also of the method that prevailed, while giving it an exemplary dimension.
To lose the “heritage at risk” label, “reconstruction is not enough”explains Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO World Heritage, who adds: “With the Kasubi tombs, the idea was also to keep traditions alive and to allow, via the reopening of the site, a socio-economic contribution. »
Built in 1882, the ensemble represents a rare example of monumental plant architecture south of the Sahara. The ancients used only organic materials to build the main tomb, made up of 52 circular rings and topped with a dome. An ingenious and remarkable assembly of wood, thatch or even reeds whose fire gave rise to a week of mourning for the Bagandas.
Transmission and documentation of knowledge
This attachment has, paradoxically, represented the main challenge of the reconstruction for Unesco, its orchestrator. In order not to prolong the affront to the buried kings, the first temptation consisted in wanting to rebuild the tombs in an emergency, even if it meant departing from tradition by resorting to materials other than those chosen by the ancients. “Unesco has explained the merits of taking the time, says Lazare Eloundou. This means selecting the right straw, which has become difficult to find, identifying the right type of reeds, learning how to clean and dry them… This has enabled the training of new generations and the documentation of knowledge. » The guardians of the tombs are thus armed in the event of a new tragedy.
A concern of ” sustainability “a Unesco guideline in the reconstruction, which also involved the installation of a fire-fighting system and the training of personnel in the use of extinguishers and water nozzles.
In 2022, an African site has already been removed from the list of endangered heritage: Salonga Park, the largest rainforest reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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