Carabinieri Art Squad Trains African Professionals To Combat Antiquities Trafficking

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Italy's National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities (SNPAC) and the École du Patrimoine Africain (EPA) in Porto-Novo, Benin, launched a training course on combating the illegal trafficking of antiquities on October 5. This marks the first such initiative stemming from a three-year agreement between SNPAC and EPA, focused on training and research in cultural heritage and museum management.

Professionals from Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Morocco, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia are participating in the course. The curriculum will include instruction from Italy's Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, known as the Carabinieri Art Squad. Since its establishment in 1969, the squad claims to have recovered over 3 million cultural items and seized more than 1 million forged artworks. The topics covered include collection documentation, provenance research, digitization, international cooperation, and methods for tracing cultural heritage objects.

The course is an outcome of Italy's Mattei Plan for Africa, an initiative introduced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2024 to foster cooperation and sustainable development with African nations. Alessandro Guili, Italy's Culture Minister, commented on the program, according to Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore:“The fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property is a shared responsibility, which requires specialist expertise and collaboration between institutions. With this agreement, the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities consolidates its role in training and international cooperation, bringing together Italian and African professionals.”

Guili further emphasized the plan's broader goals, stating:“As part of the Mattei Plan, we are promoting a partnership based on reciprocity, the exchange of knowledge and respect for cultural identities. Protecting the artifacts of history means safeguarding communities' memories and their right to pass them on to future generations. The contribution of the Carabinieri TPC brings Italy's expertise in preventing and combating illicit trafficking to this endeavor.” Franck Ogou, director of the EPA, described the course as“proof that Italia and the École du Patrimoine Africain are rekindling their long-standing friendship, which has been consolidated since the very beginning of the EPA's venture in Africa. Italia is thus demonstrating its commitment to collaborating with Africa, and the École du Patrimoine Africain serves as the conduit for this. All that remains is for us to look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration.” The Carabinieri Art Squad often collaborates with the Manhattan District Attorney's Antiquities Trafficking Unit.

Source: ARTnews

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