Mali Begins Return of Timbuktu’s Historic Manuscripts After 13 Years in Exile
Mali has begun returning thousands of historic Timbuktu manuscripts to their home city, 13 years after they were smuggled out to save them from al-Qaida-linked militants. The first shipment — over 200 crates weighing 5.5 tons — arrived by plane from Bamako on Monday, August 11, with the rest to follow in the coming days. The manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century, were rescued during the 2012 occupation by local custodians who hid and transported them in rice sacks, on donkey carts, and by boat. Militants destroyed more than 4,000 manuscripts, nine mausoleums, and a mosque door before retreating.
Authorities say the dry Sahara climate in Timbuktu will better preserve the documents than the humidity of Bamako. Covering subjects from theology and astronomy to medicine and mathematics, the manuscripts are a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage treasure and a testament to the intellectual legacy of the Mali and Songhai empires. Local leaders called the return a vital step in preserving the city’s cultural identity, while officials pledged to protect, digitize, and promote the collection despite ongoing militant threats in the region.
Chad Opposition Leader Succès Masra Sentenced to 20 Years After Controversial Trial
A court in Chad has sentenced former prime minister and opposition leader Succès Masra to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of inciting violence, spreading racist messages, and complicity in murder linked to deadly intercommunal clashes in May. Masra, who leads The Transformers party and is a vocal critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby, was arrested in May alongside 74 others; most of them also received the same sentence and a joint fine of 1 billion CFA francs (about $1.8 million). His lawyers plan to appeal, calling the charges politically motivated.
Human Rights Watch says the verdict is a blow to political freedoms in Chad, where opposition parties have faced crackdowns, deadly protest suppression, and intimidation since Déby took power in 2021. Masra fled the country after a violent crackdown in 2022 but returned under the Kinshasa Accord, which guaranteed his political rights. He briefly served as prime minister before resigning last year, alleging election fraud.
