Les archéologues constatent les dégâts commis dans l'un des abris ornés de la région.

Plusieurs plaintes ont été adressées, qui sont restées sans réponse, et finalement, l'archéologue Nick Brooks, qui travaille dans cette région, a rendu l'affaire publique en mettant en ligne toute une série de photos de ces dégradations et en en parlant sur son blog. Avec lui, on ne peut que s'attrister de voir que les membres d'une organisation des Nations Unies, ladite MINURSO, saccagent impunément les mêmes sites archéologiques que d'autres membres d'une autre organisation des mêmes Nations Unies, ceux de l'UNESCO, tentent d'inventorier et de sauvegarder! Et Nick Brooks de conclure: "As long as UN staff on the ground in Western Sahara delight in defacing rock art, perhaps it is best not to advertise its location." (tant que le personnel des Nations Unies en poste au Sahara Occidental se complaira à dégrader l'art rupestre, il serait peut-être mieux de ne pas rendre publique la localisation des sites). C'est certes vrai, mais j'ajouterai que cela l'est pour l'ensemble du Sahara, et même pour l'ensemble de l'Afrique, où les dégradations et les pillages vont bon train, parfois par suite du désoeuvrement et du manque d'information, mais souvent aussi pour des raisons mercantiles. Le mieux est donc de ne signaler les sites archéologiques que par un code hermétique aux non-initiés, suffisamment précis pour travailler sur des SIG et produire des cartes de répartition (des styles, des sujets, etc.), tout en restant assez flou pour ne pas permettre de retrouver facilement les sites sur le terrain. Et à cet effet, donc, je renouvelle le conseil d'utiliser ce système d'identification.

Pour l'heure, Nick Brooks a envoyé à la MINURSO (avec copie à l'UNESCO) la plainte que je reproduis ci-dessous. Sans réponse pour l'instant.


Dear Sir or Madam

I recently visited the southern sector of the Polisario-controlled zone of Western Sahara in order to conduct archaeological and palaeo-environmental fieldwork. I was appalled to see that MINURSO personnel have deliberately defaced an important archaeological site at Lajuad, where they have spray-painted their names and affiliations on the face of a rockshelter housing vulnerable prehistoric engravings and paintings. It appears that these actions - actions that can only be called criminal - were committed by MINURSO staff responsible for installing communications equipment in June 2007. The identities of the perpetrators should be clear from the graffiti, a record of which I have published at the following web link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/western_sahara_project/sets/72157603491003320/

I have also publicised this destruction on my blog at nickbrooks.wordpress.com, and will be circulating details of this incident to colleagues in the archaeological research and cultural heritage communities.

The deliberate damage at Lajuad is not the only such incidence of the defacing of rock art sites by MINURSO personnel. I have seen similar damage at the site of Rekeiz in the Northern Sector.

The only acceptable solution to the problem of vandalism of these rock art sites by MINURSO personnel is for MINURSO, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, or the countries whose staff have committed these acts of vandalism to fund the proper restoration of the damaged sites. It is also imperative that MINURSO makes clear to all its staff that such actions are completely unacceptable, and that future such acts result in disciplinary action.

I do hope that MINURSO takes this matter seriously, and addresses the acts of vandalism committed by its personnel in an appropriate manner. As things stand at present, MINURSO is undermining the work of UNESCO, which I understand is about to embark on a programme of recording of rock art sites in the Polisario-controlled zone, the aim of which is to help preserve the cultural heritage of Western Sahara regardless of the ultimate outcome of the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario. The archaeology of Western Sahara is extremely important to our understanding of African, and indeed global, prehistory, and is at present virtually unknown to the international research community - a matter that I and others are currently attempting to address through field-based research. It would be a tragedy if this important global cultural resource was lost as a result of ignorance and a lack of respect for the territory's cultural heritage. It would be even more tragic if this occurred at the hands of the United Nations, which is meant to be working not only towards a just and lasting peace in the region, but also towards the preservation and understanding of the world's cultural heritage.

Yours sincerely

Dr Nick Brooks
Director, Western Sahara Project:
www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~e118/wsahara.htm
Visiting Research Fellow
School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia
Norwich NR4 7TJ
UK

Le Capitaine Isaac fait partie de ces "missionnaires" de la MINURSO qui ont absolument tenu à signaler à la postérité
que ce sont bien eux qui ont dégradé les peintures rupestres.


Ces girafes font partie des images rupestres préhistoriques qui sont désormais à peine visibles sous les graffiti.

JLLQ