September 13, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – UNESCO on Tuesday strongly condemned reports that Sudan’s National Museum has been looted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) elements, highlighting a growing threat to the country’s cultural heritage amid ongoing conflict. Last week, Sudanese researchers called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to help recover valuable artefacts looted from the National Museum in Khartoum under the RSF control and taken to South Sudan for sale. The U.N. cultural agency said it has been closely monitoring the impact of the conflict on Sudan’s heritage since it began in April 2023. Recent weeks have seen an alarming escalation, with reports of widespread looting of museums, heritage sites, and archaeological sites. “UNESCO is particularly concerned by reports of looting at the National Museum of Sudan,” the agency said in a statement. The museum, which houses important historical artefacts and archaeological collections, has been undergoing restoration coordinated by UNESCO with funding from Italy since 2019. The agency also condemned reports of looting at the Khalifa House Museum and Nyala Museum, emphasizing that such acts constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law. UNESCO reiterated its call to the public and the art market to refrain from acquiring …

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