Mbanza Kongo, 09/21 – Mbanza Kongo`s insertion and its consequent classification as a cultural heritage of humanity counts with total support of the Bantu Civilization Research Centre (CICIBA), informed Friday, in the provincial capital of Zaire, the former director general of the institution, Vatomene Kukanda.

Speaking to ANGOP in the light of the International Round Table on Mbanza Kongo, the current director general of the Institute of Vernacular Languages guaranteed that the Angolan government might count on help of CICIBA in this work aimed at convincing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to consider Mbanza Kongo as a Heritage of Humanity.

“Mbanza Kongo is not simply part of Angola, but it is a region that captures the attention of an African zone that also includes Gabon, DR Congo and Congo Brazaville. I am certain that officials of these countries will not lose this opportunity of seeing part of their history protected by the world institution” said.

The source added that after the round table the Angolan Government will be in conditions to proceed, in a solid manner, with the project of classifying Mbanza Kongo as a world heritage.

For the effect, Vatomene Kukanda called for particular attention to the immaterial heritage, due to its importance to the Kongo region, in particular, to the African people in general.

The round table ends this Friday, after three days, with the presentation of final recommendations, speeches by chieftains and the final addressed by the provincial governor, Pedro Sebastião.

Under the theme “Mbanza Kongo, a city to be unearthed for preservation”, the event is part of a project of the University lecturer Emmanuel Esteves, and is aimed at discovering artefacts of occupation in that area, as well as the traditional tree of strength named “Yala Nkuwu”.

Attended by 30 national and foreign experts, the event, an initiative of the Culture Ministry, aims at collecting contributions for the recognition, by UNESCO, of Mbanza Kongo as heritage of cultural humanity.

Valuing the historic-cultural heritage of this city, to turn the province into a tourist site and collect contributions to enrich the history of the Kongo Kingdom were the goals of this meeting.