UNESCO adds three new World Heritage sites from Africa

Three new sites in Africa have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Malawi’s Mount Mulanje, Cameroon’s Diy-Gid-Biy cultural landscape, and the Bijagos Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau have been added after a decision was made at the 47th Extended Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris.

In addition to the new inscriptions, three African sites were removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi, revered by local communities as home to gods and ancestral spirits, was recognised for its rich biodiversity and popular trekking routes. The mountain is also home to many endemic plant species.

Cameroon’s entry is the Diy-Gid-Biy cultural landscape, located in the Mandara Mountains of the Far North Region. Dating back to between the 12th and 17th centuries, the site includes sacred spaces, archaeological remains, and traditional farming areas.

Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos Archipelago — comprising 88 islands and islets more than 13,000 square kilometres — was also added. The matriarchal Bijago people live there, practising animist traditions and led largely by women. It is the first World Heritage site from the country.

Only 20 of the islands are inhabited, home to around 30,000 people. The area is also a major refuge for migratory birds, with more than 870,000 recorded across the islands.

Meanwhile, three sites in Africa were removed from the endangered list: the Atsinanana Rainforests in Madagascar, Egypt’s Abu Mena site, and the historic Libyan city of Ghadames.

Despite being the world’s second-largest continent, Africa accounts for only about 9% of World Heritage sites — but nearly 25% of those listed as “in danger.”

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