Mbanza Kongo - The Ministry of Culture said the management plan for the Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo, in northern Zaire province, is being updated.
The process is being carried out by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The current management plan, in force since 2016, expired in 2020, so there is an urgent need to develop a new one, for the period 2022-2026, said the Secretary of State for Culture, Maria da Piedade de Jesus.
On her three-day working visit to the World Heritage city, Maria da Piedade told the press on Tuesday that the current management plan for the capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo has been carried out by a committee, created under Presidential Decree 178/2015, of 18 September.
The plan is meant to develop actions aimed to save and preserve the local historical and cultural heritage, as well as disseminating its exceptional value.
The official spoke of the Kongo International Culture Festival (FestiKongo) scheduled for July this year, stating that the event will be held in a particular context due to Covid-19.
The Secretary of State also spoke of the holding of an international workshop by video-conference that will gather the countries whose territories belonged to the former Kingdom of Kongo, with stress to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo and Gabon.
The official also announced plans to upgrade the Museum of the Kings of Kongo,
in an action to be carried out in partnership with the French Embassy in Angola.
The Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo was enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 8, 2017.
