``Heritage Conservation`` Initiative Calls for Protecting Agricultural Heritage in Gezira State
moatinoon
The "Heritage Conservation Sudan" initiative has called on the conflicting parties in Sudan and the citizens of Gezira State to protect and preserve the "Maintenance Center for Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources" in the city of Wad Medani.
The cultural group dedicated to preserving Sudanese heritage, "Conservation," stated that the center represents the "agricultural heritage" of Sudanese farmers. It serves as a significant encyclopedic reference that must be protected, even if it requires relocation, amidst the ongoing military confrontations.
The group emphasized that preserving this vital facility is a task for all parties involved, as it constitutes a part of the human heritage deserving protection and conservation, especially during periods of wars and serious disturbances. Ensuring the safety of its assets, including samples, studies, and research with no duplicates, is crucial.
The center is located within the buildings of the "Agricultural Research Corporation," some of which were constructed a century ago, in the area allocated from the Gezira Project. This project is the largest and oldest irrigation-based agricultural project in Africa, making the centers surroundings an architectural heritage, deserving preservation and protection as well.
The "Agricultural Research Corporation" is an academic research institution promoting agricultural performance in Sudan, along with other institutions focusing on irrigation systems, plant protection, pest control, and seed multiplication.
The group added that the center preserves genetic resources, databases, recorded studies, and testimonies, representing a living heritage of Sudanese agriculture. These traditional and inherited knowledge have been passed down through generations, linked to sustainable development and the right to a decent life for a broad segment of Sudanese citizens, which might be challenging to recover if lost, damaged, looted, or if a safe preservation environment is not provided, especially given that the centers staff had to evacuate due to the war.
The group appealed to 15 international organizations, including FAO and UNESCO, as well as regional entities such as the African Union and the Arab League, to respond to protect the center and conserve its contents practically, not just through statements.
