Ennedi Massif has the opportunity to become one of the most renowned and accessible sites for Saharan tourism. The reserve’s Tourism Department opened in 2022, and the construction of a guesthouse to host supporters and donors is progressing.
Sougounaw Ostrich Farm has been renovated and equipped to increase breeding capacity, to begin serving as an educational site for students and for tourists, both local and international, and to support the long-term objectives of the red-necked ostrich reintroduction project.
Ongoing mapping of archaeological sites forms a major part of planning the launch of an exclusive tourist experience in Ennedi in the near future. The presence of humans in this area dates back over 10,000 years to the Neolithic period. Mausoleums and hundreds of engravings and rock paintings bear testament to this continuity of human presence; their illustrations depicting 16 different styles and three distinct eras of rock art. So far, 358 archaeological sites have been recorded, with rock painting sites comprising more than half of these.
With effective management of the natural and cultural heritage of this Eden in the desert, Ennedi is becoming a functioning Sahelian-Saharan ecosystem of significant cultural and natural value.
