Looting at Sudan’s National Museum sparks outrage
Sudan Tens of thousands of artefacts looted from Sudan museum, says official PHOTO: The Indian News Express
The National Museum in Khartoum, one of Africa’s most significant cultural institutions, has suffered extensive looting amid Sudan's ongoing conflict.
The museum's collection of over 100,000 artifacts, including 2,500-year-old mummies, statues, pottery, and ancient murals, has been severely compromised.
Similar incidents have also occurred at the Khalifa House in Omdurman and the Nyala Museum in South Darfur.
A museum official described the impact of the looting as devastating, noting that the artifacts represent the core identity of the Sudanese people.
Efforts are underway to engage regional governments in recovering the stolen items.
Dr. Julien Cooper, an archaeologist from Macquarie University, emphasized the cultural significance of the museum's collection and the difficulty in assessing the extent of the loss due to the ongoing conflict.
The RSF, who have been implicated in the looting, have denied the allegations.
The museum staff had to evacuate the site following the outbreak of fighting between the UAE-backed RSF and the Sudanese army in April last year.
War erupted in Sudan one year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world's largest displacement crisis.
Although the UAE denies supporting the RSF, a UN report earlier in January this year found that the accusations of UAE military support to RSF were credible.