The National Museum in Khartoum, a key cultural institution in Africa, has faced severe looting during Sudan’s ongoing conflict. The museum, which houses over 100,000 artifacts including 2,500-year-old mummies, statues, pottery, and ancient murals, has been heavily damaged.
Similar looting incidents have also affected the Khalifa House in Omdurman and the Nyala Museum in South Darfur. Museum officials have described the impact as devastating, highlighting that the stolen artifacts are central to Sudanese identity.
Efforts are underway to collaborate with regional governments to recover the stolen items. Dr. Julien Cooper, an archaeologist from Macquarie University, has stressed the cultural importance of the museum’s collection and the challenge of assessing the full extent of the loss amid the ongoing conflict.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are implicated in the looting, have denied the allegations. The museum staff had to evacuate the site in April last year due to intense fighting between the RSF, supported by the UAE, and the Sudanese army.
Since the outbreak of war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the RSF, the conflict has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis. A UN report earlier this year found credible evidence of UAE military support to the RSF, despite UAE denials.
