Sudan National Museum looted, artefacts sold online amid civil war
According to Middle East Eye, the National Museum of Sudan in Khartoum has been subjected to looting, with artifacts reportedly smuggled out of the nation. The perpetrators have been identified by the national broadcaster SBC as fighters from the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since April 2023, the RSF has been embroiled in a violent conflict with the Sudanese army, leading to more than 1,000 fatalities and displacing 3.7 million individuals. Unverified satellite images suggest the museum, the oldest and largest in East Africa, has been ransacked, with items surfacing on online auction platforms. UNESCO confirmed similar incidents in April 2024 at various museums, prompting the NGO Heritage for Peace to establish the Sudan Heritage Protection Initiative to combat such vandalism.
Key facts
- Sudan National Museum in Khartoum looted
- Artefacts smuggled out of the country
- SBC identified RSF fighters as culprits
- RSF is UAE-backed
- Conflict since April 2023
- Over 1,000 killed, 3.7 million displaced
- Satellite imagery shows ransacking
- Objects appeared on online auction sites
- Museum is largest and oldest in East Africa
- Collection includes archaeological artifacts and early Christian frescoes
- UNESCO aware of similar pillaging at other museums in April 2024
- Beit Khalifa Museum occupied, collection removed
- Heritage for Peace established Sudan Heritage Protection Initiative
Entities
Institutions
- Sudan National Museum
- Middle East Eye
- SBC
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
- UNESCO
- Sudan Natural History Museum
- National Ethnographic Museum
- Republican Palace Museum
- Beit Khalifa Museum
- Heritage for Peace
Locations
- Khartoum
- Sudan
- East Africa
- Darfur