570 stolen antiquities recovered in Sudan

Sudan’s Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism has confirmed the recovery of 570 stolen Sudanese antiquities, coinciding with the passage of 1,000 days since the war that broke out in the heart of the capital, Khartoum, on April 15, 2026, and spread to all of Sudan.

The General Intelligence Service handed over the recovered artifacts to the Ministry of Culture and Information. At a celebration of the recovery in Port Sudan yesterday, Lt Gen Abbas Bakhit, Deputy Director General of Intelligence, said that the recovery operation was a real battle to protect Sudan’s history and national heritage, and was carried out with high professionalism and coordination with the competent authorities. He pointed out that full coordination with the judicial authorities and regional partners is underway.

Inventory and classification of recovered items

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Graham Abdel Qader, explained during the meeting that the specialised committee, in coordination with the intelligence service, inventoried and classified the recovered objects, and included the main museums such as the Jazeera Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Khalifa House Museum and the National Museum, to arrange them and make them displayable again.

Minister of Information Khaled El Aiser stressed that the display of samples of recovered objects does not only come within the framework of the celebration, but also represents an intellectual, moral and sovereign act that confirms that the protection of the national identity is no less important than any battle fought with arms, but is the first line of defence for the conscience and history of the nation.

El Aiser appealed to members of the public who are in possession of artefacts or information about the whereabouts of Sudanese antiquities, calling for the initiative to report and hand them over to the competent authorities, stressing that the state views this as a noble national act that contributes to protecting the history of Sudan as a common right for generations.

The Minister stressed the Ministry’s commitment to encourage all those who contribute to the recovery or reporting of antiquities, stressing that the restoration process represents the return of a dear part of the national memory and a victory over attempts to obliterate the civilisational values and Sudanese identity

National Antiquities Awareness Campaign

In this context, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Jibril Ibrahim, called for the need to implement a comprehensive inventory of all archaeological objects and treasures, and called for the launch of a national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of preserving antiquities.

He pointed to the formation of a committee of competent authorities to circumnavigate the states to recover the stolen objects and appealed to neighbouring countries to support Sudan’s efforts to protect its heritage.

He stressed that the recovery of hundreds of artefacts represents an important event that reflects the history, identity, and civilisation of Sudan

UNESCO

The Director of the Office of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) in Sudan, Ahmed Junaid Soroshuli, congratulated the Sudanese government on the recovery of a number of stolen Sudanese antiquities, noting that this success proves Sudan’s commitment to protecting its cultural heritage in times of crisis and conflict.

He stressed UNESCO’s full commitment to support Sudan in the protection of antiquities and heritage because of the historical and cultural heritage it represents.

That sends a strong message to the international community that Sudanese cultural heritage will not be lost and will remain an important part of Sudan’s national identity.

He noted UNESCO’s cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism in the inventory and restoration of the collections. UNESCO also provided the necessary equipment, such as laptops, printers, desktops, and cameras, to the museum’s staff to continue their important work in inventorying the collections and identifying the stolen objects.

Looting and vandalism of more than 20 museums

During the thousand days since the outbreak of the war, the cultural, media and knowledge sector was subjected to total or partial destruction and looting of more than 20 museums and facilities of archaeological and historical value and their content, and the initial estimates of the destruction of buildings and exhibition boxes amounted to about $110 million

Among the most prominent Sudanese museums that were looted and vandalised during the war are the Republican Palace, the National Museum, the Nyala Museum, the El Geneina Museum, the Sultan Ali Dinar Museum, the Ethnography Museum, the Khalifa Omdurman House Museum, the Republican Palace Museum, the Women’s Museum at Al-Ahfad University, the Military Museum, the Music Archive, and the Natural History Museum

The National Theatre and other theatres in the capital and the states were not spared from looting and looting, as the sound and lighting equipment and all the equipment of the factory were looted in these theatres.