Yemen calls on US to ban sale of its artefacts

Yemen’s government has asked Washington to prevent the sale of Yemeni antiquities and artifacts in America, Saba News Agency reported yesterday.

Minister of Culture Marwan Dammaj said that a consultative panel from the American government is set to convene on  29 October to discuss the Yemeni government’s request to ban illegal trafficking of Yemeni artefacts in the country. Dammaj said that his government’s request was made based on Article 9 of the UNESCO agreement, adding that Yemen endorsed the article last September.

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He pointed out that the Yemeni embassy in Washington is making efforts to prevent trade in Yemeni artefacts.

The internationally-backed Yemeni government accused the Houthi group of smuggling the antiquities out of the country as part of their plan to eradicate the country’s historical symbols.

According to Saba, the Yemeni Ministry of Culture has stopped 52 attempts to smuggle artefacts through Al-Mazyoona Crossing.