UNESCO urged to help in return of Axum obelisk

Ethiopia has urged the head of the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to help in the return of the Axum Obelisk – controversially taken from the country by Italy 55 years ago. The Ethiopian ministry of culture made the appeal during a whirlwind three-day trip by UNESCO's director general, Koichiro Matsuura, to the country which ended on Wednesday. The Axum Obelisk is one of the most sacred artefacts in Ethiopian history and was removed by Italian troops in 1937. During a one-day visit to Axum, Koichiro Matsuura was told of the historical importance of the obelisk to the country. "The minister of culture explained to me what had happened when we visited Axum together," Matsuura told a news conference in Addis Ababa before leaving for Afghanistan. "He has asked for UNESCO help. I said I was aware of the issue but would have to look into it and would need to know much more about what has developed between the two countries." He said UNESCO should be at the forefront of the fight against the illicit trade in stolen artefacts but said the return of the obelisk was a "political issue". Matsuura, who was the former president of the World Heritage Committee, refused to call on Italy to return the obelisk, adding: "I am not in a position to say anything definite." The return of the Axum Obelisk is a highly controversial issue between the two countries. The Italian deputy minister for culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, has already threatened to resign if the monument is removed from Italy. His counterpart in Ethiopia branded his comments as "unconstructive and damaging". The two countries have been at loggerheads over the obelisk with Ethiopia saying the Italians had promised to return it under an agreement signed in 1997. A spokesman for the Ethiopian ministry of youth, sports and culture said the patience of Ethiopia was being "tested to the limit". "The time has come for Italy to be clear on its intentions, whether Ethiopia is going to get its obelisk back or not," he said. "The ministry of youth, sports and culture once again calls on the Italian government to respect its obligations in the restitution of the Axum Obelisk to its rightful owners without further delay. Nothing less will be acceptable." Matsuura said one of the most pressing issues of his visit was education. While the country had made progress in basic education, he said there was still much to be achieved. In rural areas illiteracy among men is more than 60 percent. Among women the figure is much higher. Matsuura, who became Director General in November 1999, has visited Ethiopia many times but this was his first official visit as head of UNESCO. "Ethiopia is rich with historical monuments and cultural monuments," he told the news conference. "It already has seven world heritage sites on the UNESCO list." Ethiopia was registered in UNESCO’s membership list in 1955. During his three-day visit, which started on 6 January, Matasuura visited Lalibela – famed for its 12th century rock-hewn churches - and Axum, both World Heritage Sites. He also met Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis who called on UNESCO to expand its programmes within the country – particularly in the fields of communication, science and technology.