The Sudan National Museum, a repository of the nation’s rich history and culture spanning thousands of years, has suffered extensive damage and loss as a result of recent conflicts. The museum, which houses an estimated 100,000 artifacts, including treasures from the Nubian kingdom, the Kushite empire, and items from the Christian and Islamic eras, has been left nearly bare and in disarray. Videos posted on social media after the Sudanese army recaptured the area from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) depict empty rooms, piles of rubble, and broken artifacts, illustrating the scale of the looting.
Fears of the museum’s significant collection being plundered were initially raised in June 2023, and satellite images later showed trucks loaded with artifacts leaving the building. This, however, was just the prelude to the full extent of the theft that became apparent after RSF was expelled from Khartoum. Notably, among the stolen items were gold and precious stones held in a fortified room, indicating the theft was not only of artifacts on display but also of more valuable collection items potentially smuggled abroad for sale.
The loss of the museum’s artifacts symbolizes a broader tragedy facing Sudan, where two years of civil war have brought immense human suffering and the destruction of cultural heritage among many other losses. Sudanese citizens view the damage to the museum as emblematic of the devastation their country has faced since the war began in 2023, stemming from a power struggle between the army and RSF.
This concern over the loss of cultural heritage is shared internationally, with UNESCO urging art dealers not to engage in trading, importing, or exporting artifacts stolen from Sudan. The damage to Sudan’s cultural heritage underscores a critical need for the international community’s attention and possible intervention to protect and restore the country’s irreplaceable historical and cultural assets.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/31/sudan-war-national-museum-khartoum-rsf-paramilitaries-looting-ancient-treasures-kush-nubia-pharoahs
