How the War devastated museums and priceless artifacts

The imposition of statues of Aries and Lions to stand on the grounds of the Sudan National Museum – priceless artifacts from a time when the Nubian rulers conquer what is now Egypt in the north, along with exquisite Christian walls paintings from many centuries ago.

On a typical day, groups of school children will be awe -alert in this reminder of their nation’s impressive past, tourists will submit through one of the mandatory Khartoum notice, and on the occasion the concerts were held on the basis.

But it was before the outbreak of the war two years ago.

As the Sudanese military confirms their control over the capital, at the end, they have finally chased away their rival for the rapid support forces (RSF), the full scale of the destruction of two years of war becomes clear.

Government ministries, banks and office blocks stand blackened and burned, while the museum – a symbol of the proud history and culture of the nation – is particularly affected.

Higher officials say tens of thousands of artifacts were destroyed or sent to be sold during the time when RSF controlled central Hardum where the museum is located.

“They have destroyed our identity and our history,” BBC BBC BBC told The Newsday.

Before the conflict, the National Museum was a gem.

Situated in the very heart of Sudan – near the Presidential Palace and the merger of the Blue Nile Rivers and the White Nile – it told a story about the sequence of great civilizations inhabiting the area over time.

Now that the museum staff made a check, they were greeted with broken glass, bullet cases on the floor and traces of robbery everywhere.

“The building was very unique and very beautiful,” said G -ja Ahmed.

“The police (the description of Sudanese officials give RSF) have taken so many of the unique and beautiful collections and destroyed and damaged others.”

A robbery in other Sudanese museums and ancient sites has been reported. Last September, the UN World Heritage Organization, UNESCO, warned of a “threat to culture” and called on art traders not to import or export artifacts smuggled by Sudan.

Before the war, the National Museum had undergone rehabilitation and so many of its treasures were boxed.

This may have facilitated the collections to be removed.

Sudanese officials claim that the valuable artifacts from the National Museum were taken away to be sold.

They strongly suspect that RSF fighters have taken some of the values ​​of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They did not provide any evidence. However, Sudan’s experts say RSF exports significant amounts of gold to the UAE, as even before the war.

The UAE is also widely accused of financing RSF, although both countries have always denied these accusations.

“We had a strong room for the gold collection, they managed to open it and took all the gold,” said G -ja Ahmed.

“Maybe they kept it for themselves, or maybe they traded it on the market.”

So the location of pieces like a gold collar from the King Talakhamani’s pyramid at Nuri, which dates from In the 5th century BC, they were unknown.

Asked about the value of what was taken, D -Ja Ahmed simply replied: “There is no value to the artifacts of museums, this is more expensive than you could imagine.”

The Sudan government has actually said that it will contact Interpol and UNESCO to try to restore the artifacts looted by the National Museum and elsewhere.

However, the restoration of the artifacts seems difficult and perhaps even a dangerous task, with a small immediate prospect of success.

The government and other Sudanese observers claim that RSF attacks against museums, universities and buildings such as the National Recording Service are a conscious attempt to destroy the Sudanese state – but again RSF denies it.

Amgad Farid, who rules Fikra for studies and a cerebral trust for development, is particularly critical of robbery.

“RSF’s actions go beyond ordinary crime,” he wrote in a piece shared by his organization.

“They are a deliberate and malicious attack on Sudan’s historical identity aimed at the priceless heritage of Nubian, Coptic and Islamic civilizations, covering over 7000 years, constituting the cornerstone of the African and global history attached to these museums.

“This is no accidental loss against the background of conflict – it is a calculated endeavor to erase Sudan’s legacy, to separate people from their past, and to plunder millennia from human history with profit.”

The history of the National Museum – conquered by armed men, its gold and values ​​looted and stolen – reflect the individual stories of so many Sudanese in this conflict: they were forced to flee, their houses are busy, the gold stolen.

According to the UN, nearly 13 million people have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the fighting in 2023, while approximately 150,000 people were killed.

“The war is against Sudan’s people,” says G -Ja Ahmed, struck by the human spending of war, as well as the unimaginable loss of centuries of inheritance.

It – along with other adherents – intend to restore the National Museum and other plundered institutions.

“Inshallah (God desires) we will regain all our collections,” she said.

“And we build it more beautifully than before.”