Not only human lives and infrastructure are being destroyed in the ongoing 17-month conflict in Sudan, also the national heritage of the country has fallen prey to the fighters.
Satellite imagery has detected trucks loaded with antiquities and artifacts crossing the border of Sudan. A massive theft is taking place amidst the conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The museum is located in an area controlled by the later in Khartoum.
Ghalia Jar Al-Nabi, head of Sudan’s museums, told the digital network Alarabiya: “A theft has taken place and now that this is known, the perpetrators may try to destroy the hidden items.” A source within the museum told the British Guardian that the objects involved are tens of thousands.
Experts consider the National Museum to be one of the most significant museums in Africa. It has over 100,000 items, including embalmed mummies from 2,500 BC, which are some of the oldest and most important archaeological finds globally. The collection also features statues, pottery, and ancient murals, showcasing artifacts from the Stone Age, Kush to the Christian and Islamic periods.
According to Jar Al-Nabi, the security services have ordered that the details of the incident remain confidential. The person who reported the theft had chosen to stay anonymous. He provided photos showing some artifacts being sold in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as within South Sudan.
The National Authority has communicated this information to regional and international organizations, including UNESCO and Interpol, as well as all entities engaged in the tracking and recovery of stolen artifacts, in an effort to facilitate the return of these treasures to Sudan.
News regarding the theft of Sudan’s national heritage is gaining considerable attention from the world media which has given limited coverage to the world worst humanitarian catastrophe today.
