Sudan: Al-Eisir - RSF Militia's Systematic Destruction of Archaeological Sites Targeted Sudan's National Identity and Cultural Heritage

Al-Eisir: RSF Militia's Systematic Destruction of Archaeological Sites Targeted Sudan's National Identity and Cultural Heritage

- Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism, Khalid Al-Eisir, affirmed that museums and archaeological sites in Sudan were among the first institutions to be subjected to systematic plundering and destruction by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia during the war it launched on April 15. He stated that these organized attempts were aimed at targeting Sudan's national identity and cultural heritage.

This came during his address Wednesday at the workshop "Protecting Antiquities: Between Reality and Aspiration" held at Al-Rabwa Hall in Port Sudan, in the presence of the representative of the Red Sea State Wali, Khalifa Mohamed Ahmed, the ministry's two undersecretaries Dr. Graham Abdel-Gadir and Somaya Al-Hadi, as well as the Chair of the Higher Council for Environment and Tourism in Red Sea State, Samia Oshaik, along with several officials and a large number of experts and stakeholders in the antiquities and museums sector.

He added that Sudan possesses one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and that Sudanese antiquities stand as proof of the depth of Sudan's history and the richness of its cultural legacy.

The minister noted that the ministry has achieved significant progress in the field of antiquities protection, affirming that the coming days will reveal quietly managed efforts to recover stolen items and repair the damage inflicted on cultural properties.

He pointed out that the Kerma civilization and the pyramids represent civilizational pillars that cannot be tampered with, emphasizing that attacks on archaeological sites are attempts to erase the identity of the Sudanese nation and its memory that stretches back thousands of years.

The minister announced a government plan to establish a museum in every Sudanese state, in addition to supporting academic institutions specializing in archaeology, strengthening national belonging, and reinforcing identity. He also stressed that the government will continue--through legal and diplomatic channels--to demand the return of Sudanese antiquities held in international museums.

Al-Eisir described the destruction inflicted on museums and archaeological sites as "an attack on an entire nation's civilization," affirming that the ministry will exert every effort to rebuild what has been destroyed, recover the stolen artifacts, preserve both tangible and intangible heritage, and strengthen national unity.

Read the original article on SNA.