Sudan Events – Agencies
The Director of Museums at the Sudanese National Authority for Antiquities, Dr. Ikhlas Abdel Latif, dismissed the Rapid Support Forces militia’s initiative to protect the museums under its control.
She described any statements from the militia claiming to protect the artifacts as “completely false.”
Dr. Ikhlas, head of the Sudanese Antiquities Restoration Committee, said, according to Al-Taghyeer, “How can they protect the museums when they have stolen the artifacts and removed them from the museums in Nyala, the Khalifa House in Omdurman, and most recently the National Museum in Khartoum?”
She questioned, “How can the Rapid Support Forces claim to protect heritage and museums? This is not going to happen and is not expected from them.”
She added, “At the beginning of the war, when they entered the bio-archaeology lab, one of the consultants from the Rapid Support Forces was contacted, and they apologized and promised to leave the museum premises, but this did not happen.”
Dr. Ikhlas emphasized, “What matters to us now, as those responsible for preserving the heritage, is how to recover and protect these artifacts.”
She noted that the Sudanese National Authority for Antiquities and Museums has reached out to UNESCO and other international bodies to alert them to the severity of the situation and to take necessary action.
