Samuel Sidibe has been director general of the National Museum of Mali in Bamako since 1987. In 2009 he was appointed by the Minister of Culture as director of the "Rencontres de Bamako, Biennale Africaine de la photographie", the major photography event on the Continent. His university background is in art history and archaeology. He is very engaged in the fight against illicit trafficking of Malian heritage and published articles on the topic.