AmSARC strongly condemns the attacks and looting of Sudan’s cultural institutions, including the Sudan National Museum, which was under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for nearly two years. Recent investigations confirmed that much of the museum’s priceless collection, some as much as 10,000 years old, has been looted, trafficked, or destroyed, with trucks of stolen antiquities reported moving towards west and southern Sudan.
This cultural tragedy extends beyond the National Museum. The Sudan Ethnographic Museum, Khalifa House Museum, private museums, and heritage institutions in Darfur and Kordofan have also been vandalized and looted, with artifacts now appearing on illicit markets. The situation is particularly alarming in El-Fashir, the capital of Darfur, which is currently under siege by the RSF, with bombardment threatening all cultural institutions and archives in the region.
The destruction of these institutions deprives the Sudanese people of their collective memory and identity, and it constitutes a serious violation of international conventions, including the 1954 Hague Convention and UNESCO’s protocols on the protection of cultural property.
With the recent liberation of Khartoum by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), there is now an opportunity to assess the damage, recover stolen objects, and safeguard what remains. We call on the RSF and all armed groups to immediately cease targeting heritage sites and to facilitate the return of looted artifacts.
AmSARC urges UNESCO, INTERPOL, global heritage organizations, local communities, and the international community to collaborate effectively to:
- Track, report, and recover stolen artifacts.
- Provide emergency funding and expertise for the protection of endangered collections.
- Support local scholars and heritage workers in their recovery efforts.
Sudan’s cultural legacy is a treasure for all humanity, and it must be preserved for future generations and humanity.
For more of our activities to preserve the Sudanese cultural heritage, follow us on this website and social media; for donations, see below.
If you prefer to send a check, it can be sent to AmSARC Treasurer: Michele Buzon, AmSARC, Department of Anthropology, Stone Hall 304, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 47907.
AmSARC is the American Sudanese Archaeological Research Center, an independent not-for-profit founded in 2017. Our mission is to encourage American and Sudanese archeological research and collaboration in Sudan and provide the network and support for success. The center facilitates research and nurtures scholarly ties between institutions and individuals in both countries as well as conducting its own archaeological research in Sudan. AmSARC also organizes outreach on public archaeology throughout the two countries. AmSARC was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in California and has secured 501(c)3 status.
Services provided:
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- Consultations to establish and manage projects in Sudan.
- Recommendations of professionals and specialists for archaeological mission teams.
- Facilitation of transportation in Sudan.
- Assistance with the custom regulations in Sudan and international shipment of materials.
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