 During this time, Mali was experiencing famine; and it was unlikely for many to be upset about any money that came into the country.The sale of cultural antiquities has been illegal since 1970, with the creation of the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, yet conflict between ownership and control of artifacts still remains a problem in the region as well as in many other parts of the world.Other sculptures in West Africa have faced similar challenges.