“The Federal Government condemns the destruction of invaluable cultural assets in Timbuktu. Such behaviour is utterly unjustifiable. Irreplaceable monuments to Timbuktu’s ”golden age“ are in peril.
In Timbuktu, the integrity of one of Africa’s – and indeed the world’s – most outstanding cultural heritage sites is at stake. I call on those responsible to put an end to these barbaric acts of destruction and to respect Africa’s cultural heritage.
The efforts of the West African regional organization ECOWAS to broker a political solution for Mali and restore the country’s national unity are expressly supported by Germany.”