Not a Movie Heist: Artifacts Looted from Sudanese Museum

By William Crawford

King Taharqa-Main Hall in Sudanese National Museum

During fighting as part of the continuing civil war in the Sudanese city of Khartoum, the National Museum has reportedly been the victim of looting.  An official for the museum has stated that tens of thousands of artefacts were stolen from the site, and as seen by satellite images, taken by the truck load in the direction of Sudan’s borders. The museum falls under the area controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF is a Sudanese Paramilitary Group that, while officially part of and loyal to the Sudanese Government, is currently in armed conflict with the regular Sudanese military, because of an unsuccessful demand by the regular armed forces for the integration of the RSF. The two are engaged with each other in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. The RSF denies taking part in the looting of the historical artifacts of Sudan.

Supervision and monitoring of Sudan’s cultural and historical artifacts has become near impossible due to the ongoing fighting. Looted artefacts have now reportedly appeared for online sale on sites such as eBay. The sales from the National Museum are likely being used to fund the fighting, Actions likes this represent a threat to Sudan cultural history. The threat is not only to this particular museum but it expands to other museums and archeological sites being at risk of destruction or looting.

The cost of war in culture, history, and identity is usually less frequently discussed in media outlets and discourse. Museum officials described this loss to The Guardian as “Losing your existence in this world”. In its vast collections, the National Museum had mummies from 2,500 BC, such relics of the past are invaluable and irreplaceable. Items like this represent the “identity of the Sudanese people.” In a country that is already experiencing internal strife, one cannot help but fear the results of losing any reminder of shared identity in the country.