“Of the current list of sites classified as world heritage, only 8% are African”, highlighted the president of the Cape Verdean Cultural Heritage Institute (IPC), Samira Baessa, during the presentation of the country’s strategy for the site’s candidacy for Heritage. Worldwide.
Cape Verde wants to nominate the former Tarrafal concentration camp to UNESCO by 2026, in a process that involves Portugal, Angola and Guinea-Bissau and which hopes to “balance” the continental distribution of the world heritage list.
“Of the current list of sites classified as world heritage, only 8% are African”, highlighted the president of the Cape Verdean Cultural Heritage Institute (IPC), Samira Baessa, during the presentation of the country’s strategy for the site’s candidacy for Heritage. Worldwide.
The candidacy, according to the same person responsible, will take place in the cultural category and will be the first transnational – bringing together other countries – from an African site.
To this end, the country has already sent a memorandum of understanding to Portugal, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, which hopes to be signed by May 10, when the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April and the closure of the Tarrafal Concentration Camp end.
In addition to the international “dialogue”, Cape Verde wants to involve civil society so that the candidacy is “for the people” and to honor former political prisoners.
“The hard work will be to prove that the site has value that goes beyond national borders”, highlighted the president of the IPC, estimating that the dossier could be submitted to UNESCO between 2025 and 2026.
“It will be a relatively complex and long process”, warned Samira Baessa, stressing that it will be a “winning candidate” and that it will “value the memory”.
The president of the IPC pointed out as “basic conditions” of the candidacy, the classification of the site as a national heritage site in 2004, its inclusion on the indicative list of UNESCO heritage sites, as well as its rehabilitation and museumization and the “convergence of will” with the four countries.
Regarding the procedures, he said that the formal intention of the candidacy will be published in the Official Bulletin, to be formalized with the world heritage center and international technical assistance will be requested.
During the presentation ceremony, which took place today, in the old field and which was attended by the Cape Verdean Minister of Culture, Abraão Vicente, the Cape Verde Post Office launched a postage stamp alluding to the “50 Years of the 25th of April and the Democracy”, in partnership with Portugal, and which has a carnation as an identifying element.
The presidents of Cape Verde, Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Portugal, the four countries of origin of the prisoners, celebrate on May 1st the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Tarrafal – a memorial plaque at the site marks the names of the 36 killed by the Portuguese colonial dictatorship .
The majority, 32 dead, were Portuguese who challenged the fascist regime, imprisoned in the first phase of the camp, between 1936 and 1956.
It reopened in 1962 under the name Camp de Trabalho de Chão Bom, intended to incarcerate anti-colonialists from Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde – and where two Angolans and two Guineans died.
In total, more than 500 people were imprisoned in the “slow death camp”.
