Catastrophic Destruction of Centuries-Old Heritage in Sudan's Conflict

In the ongoing conflict between Sudan's army chief and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a tragic byproduct has emerged: the looting and destruction of several museums, resulting in the loss of thousands of priceless antiquities.

The National Museum in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, has been looted, with an estimated value of losses totalling around $110 million so far. The famous "Gold Room" of the museum, housing solid-gold royal jewellery, figurines, and ceremonial objects, was targeted, leaving behind a gaping void in Sudan's cultural history.

Thousands of antiquities, some dating back 3,000 years, have vanished from the museum, which once housed over half a million artifacts spanning 7,000 years of African history. The Khalifa House Museum in Omdurman stands battered and bruised, with its walls pockmarked by bullet holes and the jagged lesions of artillery fire.

The Ali Dinar Museum in El-Fasher, the largest in the western region, has reportedly been destroyed by fighting. The city's museum in Nyala, South Darfur state, has become inaccessible due to the area's complete destruction, with only RSF fighters able to move there.

Interpol is involved in efforts to locate the missing artifacts, while Sudan is working with neighbouring countries to track stolen antiquities. In a bid to prevent further losses, UNESCO issued a global alert in September 2020, urging museums, collectors, and auction houses to refrain from acquiring or taking part in the import, export, or transfer of ownership of cultural property from Sudan.

Another group communicated with the Sudanese government from Egypt, offering to return looted antiquities in exchange for money. However, it remains unclear how the government responded to this offer. Meanwhile, some looted antiquities are believed to have been smuggled across borders into Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.

The paramilitary group denies the accusation of destroying antiquities, but army-aligned government officials have accused the RSF fighters of looting the National Museum, calling it a "war crime." The organisation that issued a global alert in 2023 and requested cooperation from museums and institutions dealing with antiquities to prevent the import, export, or transfer of ownership rights of cultural goods from Sudan is UNESCO.

A group of foreigners were arrested in Sudan's northern River Nile state with antiquities in their possession last spring. The conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has resulted in the loss of the museum's precious contents.

Kushite funerary statues, which are beautiful, small, and portable, are particularly sought after on the black market. As the dust settles on this conflict, it is hoped that these priceless pieces of Sudan's cultural heritage can be recovered and preserved for future generations.