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By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
France, 31 January 2026 Djibouti has officially submitted its first nomination for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the government announced on Thursday.
Ambassador Ayeid Mousseid Yahya, Djibouti’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, filed the nomination for the Abourma Rock Art Site with Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, in Paris.
The nomination, led by the Ministry of Youth and Culture, follows a structured, scientific, and participatory process aligned with country’s vision for cultural development.
Earlier this month, the government declared Abourma a national monument, a move formalized by the first Council of Ministers meeting of 2026. The site, located in the Makarassou massif of northern Tadjourah, contains over 900 Neolithic rock engravings, depicting wildlife such as giraffes, ostriches, and antelopes, reflecting the region’s prehistoric landscape.
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Djibouti received technical assistance from UNESCO through its “Creating a Future for World Heritage in Africa” program, and financial and technical support from Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, and the World Heritage Fund.
Local researchers and the National Commission for Cultural Heritage worked with international experts to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the Neolithic sites in the Makarassou massif and Abourma.
The government also established a local management committee, involving communities in Tadjourah in the protection, management, and promotion of the site.
Djibouti said the nomination demonstrates its commitment to preserving its cultural heritage and contributing to global history, while promoting sustainable development, social cohesion, and national pride.
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