Mali’s Prime Minister, Gen. Abdoulaye Maïga, formally opened the 2025 Timbuktu Cultural Biennale on Thursday, acting on behalf of transitional President Gen. Assimi Goïta, according to the Prime Minister’s office.
The event, held under heightened security, brought together delegations from across Mali’s regions and the capital district of Bamako. Multiple government ministers attended the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister’s office said.
The biennale is being held under the theme “Culture, the foundation for anchoring the Fourth Republic”, aligning with President Goïta’s call on Dec. 31, 2024, for a national cultural revival. The government has designated 2025 as the “Year of Culture.”
In remarks at the event, Maïga described the biennale as more than a celebration of art, calling it a moment of remembrance, resistance, and intergenerational transmission of values, the Prime Minister’s office said.
Cultural Minister Andogoly Guindo praised the resilience of the local population and expressed hope that the event would help revive tourism in the historic city, once a major center of Islamic scholarship and trans-Saharan trade.
The ceremony featured a parade of regional delegations, a performance by 333 dancers in tribute to the city’s traditional saints, and a symbolic acknowledgment of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), of which Mali is a member. Performances are scheduled across renovated cultural venues, including a hall honoring late Malian musician Ali Farka Touré.
The Prime Minister’s office said the Malian Armed Forces were deployed to ensure the safety of participants and venues throughout the city.
