The delegation included Yahia Tandina, Chair of the Special Commission of the Timbuktu Local Authority, and Haoua Touré, the Timbuktu Local Authority’s official partner for waste management and recycling. They were accompanied by Marcel Maiga, the mayor’s representative for relations with Chemnitz and a member of the Chemnitz–Timbuktu Partnership Association (Verein zur Partnerschaft Chemnitz Timbuktu e. V.).
The delegation was in Germany from 28 September to 3 October to take part in the networking meeting of German-West African local authority partnerships in Bonn. Following a professional exchange with other German-West African local authority partnerships, the delegation travelled on to Chemnitz on 30 September.
At the request of the Timbuktu local authority, they visited the ASR to gain an insight into waste management in the city of Chemnitz and into recycling methods. They also visited pupils in an eleventh-form class during their French lesson at the Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff Grammar School.
The aim of the visit to Chemnitz was to explore potential cooperation projects. On Friday, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze welcomed the delegation to the Town Hall for a concluding meeting. A delegation from Timbuktu had already visited in November last year, to mark the finale of Chemnitz 2025 – European Capital of Culture. At an event held at the Stadtwirtschaft, the Malian visitors spoke with residents of Chemnitz and shared their experiences of life in Timbuktu.
Background
In spring 2026, the city of Chemnitz successfully applied to take part in the networking meeting of German-West African local authority partnerships in Bonn. The guests’ entire trip was funded by Engagement Global with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Representatives from Chemnitz and Mali last took part in a similar conference in Erfurt in 2016.
The partnership between Chemnitz and Timbuktu has been in place since 1968. The oasis town near the River Niger in Mali, West Africa, has a population of 54,000, though the wider metropolitan area is home to 680,000 people. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was regarded as an educational centre of the Islamic world. In April 2012, the city was occupied by Islamist rebels and was not recaptured until January 2013. During the occupation, there were attacks and acts of violence. The infrastructure and cultural heritage were almost completely destroyed.
The city of Chemnitz supported the reconstruction of schools and infrastructure through donations. Material aid, such as school supplies, medical equipment and solar power systems, has also been provided to Timbuktu in recent years. Since 2023, Chemnitz has also been supporting the Rendevouz Educatif reading festival, which is specifically aimed at young people.