Large Scale Looting of Sudan's National Museum

Artur Obluski has just reported some terrible news. According to the latest reports, large scale looting of Sudan's National Museum in Khartoum is being confirmed. This museum has the world's most extensive and comprehensive Nubian collection, with artefacts spanning eons from the Palaeolithic era to the Islamic period. The collection of the Museum, built in 1971, covers a range of cultures, including the A-Group culture, C-Group culture, Kerma Culture, Middle Kingdom of Egypt, New Kingdom of Egypt, Napata, Meroë, X-Group culture and medieval Makuria, there are artefacts from prominent sites such as Meroe, Musawwarat es-Sufra, and Naqa. Looting and damage was reported in May 2023 and in June ( Geraldine Kendall Adams, 'Reports of cultural destruction and looting as fighting escalates in Sudan' Museums Journal 16 June 2023). Further looting was reported at the beginning of June 2024: Geoff Emberling, ' Conflict Looting of Sudan National Museum' Jebel Barkal Archaeological Project Blog (Michigan)

"The civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF) has been going on for over a year. The RSF have controlled most of Khartoum for most of the war, including the area of the Sudan National Museum. There have been rumors for many months that they have looted the museum to some as-yet-unknown degree– no museum staff has been able to go to the museum to inspect. But a very upsetting report in the New York Times today states that the museum has been looted, along with the nearby Khalifa House Museum (where objects related to the Sudanese uprising against British rule from 1881-98 were held).

Now it seems that access has been attained and the scale of the damage ascertained and the news is not good.