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Interview of Blaise Onésiphore Ahanhanzo,
Mayor of Abomey

Mr. Ahanhanzo Glélé studied Economics. He was elected mayor of the historic city of Abomey in 2003, and is also President of the Association nationale des maires du Bénin (National Association of the mayors of Benin). He implemented many development projects based on the rich cultural heritage of his city.

You are the Mayor of the city of Abomey which houses the famous Royal Palaces, which were taken off UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger last June. What were your feelings when you heard the news?
It was no surprise since this was the result of years of effort and work. You know, we are very pleased, very happy that this heritage is finally off UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger. It was the dream of all Abomeans. All the kings and royal families, the dignitaries, the elders and the population share this feeling of joy and satisfaction. I was very happy, as were all Beninese citizens.

What do you intend doing to ensure continuing support from the city council for the conservation, protection and enhancement of this unique site?
The city council has decision-making responsibilities for the management of the site. When I became mayor, I had to sit as Deputy President of the management committee in order to resolve various problems connected with the site. We also needed to raise funds and honour the commitments undertaken by the Government of Benin towards UNESCO. We are continuing this process by contributing to the preservation of the values of this cultural asset, which has now become part of world heritage.
You can now see throughout the city the extensive rehabilitation of private palaces and royal sites. This momentum encourages us to proceed to the rehabilitation of the moat, the "Agbodo". There are therefore plenty of activities and programmes that we will be developing in the next few years so that the city of Abomey becomes a real city-museum, a cultural heritage city for humanity.

What are the consequences for the city of Abomey of the royal palaces site being on the World Heritage List?
First we see the consequences through the support policy that we set up almost five years ago. I therefore think that the Abomey Festival, which is a religious and cultural event on an international scale, must support this rehabilitation and enhancement policy of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Today, since it has been taken off the List of World Heritage in Danger, Abomey has become a favourite tourist destination. Every weekend we see coaches full of Europeans, Africans and others coming to visit the site.
It is a major asset for the future of the country. I am confident that the trend that we see today will increase in the years to come.

What do you expect of the future, in terms of socio-economic impact on the city?
The development of the tourism and hotel business in our city. I am happy to say that we have noticed an increasing amount of tourists which will go on increasing. The town will therefore need adequate accomodation facilities (hotels and restaurants) for visitors. Also, I think that new employments will be created in the sector of tourism, accomodation, etc.

What immediate activities will be carried out in the city area in this sense?
Already we have chosen a site for the building of a four star hotel. You know, the rehabilitation policy of the city, which is dear to our President, Dr. Thomas Boni YAYI, will support everything that we implement, that is to say: the building of an adequate hotel in Abomey, leisure areas and a touristic village, all of which will enable us to keep tourists busy for three or four days, by giving them various sites and attractions to see.

What message for the populations of Abomey concerning the maintenance and enhancement of the site?
They are already used to it. I encourage them to double their vigilance, to clean the surroundings of the royal palaces and of their houses. The number of visitors will also depend on the hygien in our city and the welcome of its inhabitants. Therefore, I ask them to be welcoming, hospitable and helpful towards our visitors.

What messages would you like to give the various partners who have worked from 1985 to this day in order to restore the site to its former state?
I would like to thank UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre and the
Ecole du Patrimoine Africain-EPA for their technical, financial and material support.
I would like to ask these partners that they increase their vigilance and efforts in what they started to do for the city of Abomey. They must support us to the end so that Abomey truelly becomes the window of our country. It is towards this end that I ask them to support the rehabilitation policy of the rest of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage and to support the setting up of accomodation infrastructure , such as hotels, recreational centres, touristic villages, etc.

Your last word?
I thank all Abomeans for their courage, endurance and determination. Many thanks also to the city of Albi in France, and to all those who worked in the background so that the royal palaces are retrieved from UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger. Finally, I thank the Beninese government, the Head of State. I thank him in the name of everyone.