Niger has launched an investigation after a rare Martian meteorite discovered in its Sahara Desert in 2023 was sold last month at Sotheby’s in New York for $4.3 million to an undisclosed buyer. The 24.7kg rock, the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, was reportedly unearthed in the Agadez region by an unidentified meteorite hunter before being sold to an international dealer and displayed in Italy.
Authorities in Niamey say they are examining the legality of its export, citing possible illicit trafficking, though Niger admits it has no specific meteorite legislation. Sotheby’s insists the sale complied with all international procedures and documentation requirements.
Palaeontologist Paul Sereno, founder of Niger Heritage, accuses the seller of violating national heritage laws and calls for the meteorite’s return, likening the case to colonial-era resource removal. Experts note that while UNESCO conventions protect cultural heritage, the status of meteorites remains legally ambiguous, leaving countries like Niger and Morocco vulnerable to losing these extraterrestrial treasures.