The Sudan National Museum looting has left a gaping hole in the nation’s cultural identity. Before the war, the museum in Khartoum proudly displayed treasures from ancient Nubian, Coptic, and Islamic civilizations.
Towering statues of rams and lions welcomed visitors to the grounds. Christian wall paintings and priceless artefacts fascinated schoolchildren, tourists, and history enthusiasts alike.
That vibrant scene ended two years ago when war erupted. As the Sudanese military reclaimed the capital from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), evidence of destruction overwhelmed the city. Government offices lay gutted, banks stood scorched, and the museum—once a proud symbol—bore deep scars.
Officials estimate that RSF fighters destroyed or looted tens of thousands of artefacts during their occupation of central Khartoum. Ikhlas Abdel Latif Ahmed, director of museums at Sudan’s National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums, told the BBC, “They destroyed our identity, and our history.”
Located near the confluence of the Blue and White Nile, the museum once served as a shining gem of Sudan. After the military regained control, museum officials walked through halls littered with shattered glass, bullet casings, and broken displays.
“The militia looted many beautiful collections and damaged the rest,” Ms Ahmed said, referring to the RSF.
Before the war, the museum’s staff had boxed many artefacts for a planned rehabilitation project. Unfortunately, this made it easier for looters to move the treasures. Sudanese officials strongly believe RSF fighters smuggled precious artefacts to the United Arab Emirates, though both RSF and UAE deny this.
Among the missing pieces is a gold collar from King Talakhamani’s pyramid at Nuri, dating back to the 5th century BC. Looters broke into the museum’s strong room and emptied its gold collections. “Maybe they kept it for themselves, or maybe they traded it,” Ms Ahmed speculated.
“There is no value for the museum artefacts; they are more expensive than you could imagine,” she stressed.
Other Sudanese museums and heritage sites have faced similar attacks. Last year, UNESCO warned the world about the growing threat to Sudanese culture and urged the art market to reject artefacts smuggled from the country.
The Sudan National Museum looting forms part of a broader pattern. According to observers like Amgad Farid, director of the Fikra for Studies and Development think-tank, these acts amount to a deliberate assault. “This is a calculated effort to erase Sudan’s legacy and plunder human history for profit,” he argued.
The RSF leadership, however, denies any targeted destruction of cultural heritage.
After the RSF’s expulsion, museum staff finally assessed the extent of the looting. They found ransacked rooms, overturned displays, and halls stripped of centuries of history.
The cultural loss mirrors the human tragedy unfolding across Sudan. Millions have fled their homes, and thousands have lost their lives. UN agencies estimate that nearly 13 million people were displaced, and around 150,000 died since the conflict erupted in 2023.
Despite the devastation, Ms Ahmed and her team vow to rebuild. She believes Sudan’s people will reclaim their heritage. “Inshallah, we will get all our collections back,” she said. “And we will build it more beautifully than before.”
The Sudan National Museum looting is more than a theft of artefacts. It represents an attempt to sever a nation’s link to its history, identity, and pride.
