Less than a month into the 2023 civil war in Sudan, alarming footage emerged showing militants in the National Museum's bioarchaeology lab misidentifying ancient mummies as recent victims. The conflict, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, poses a significant threat to Sudan's cultural heritage. With numerous museums and historic sites facing looting and damage, experts are increasingly concerned about the loss of valuable artifacts that are vital to Sudan's identity and history amid an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Panic spread across the Sudanese archaeology community, says Zuheir Saeed, the president of the Sudan Archaeology Society. "This is the history of Sudan; this is part of the identity of Sudan."
As the war approaches the end of its second year, tens of thousands of lives have been lost and horrendous human rights violations have been committed, with no end in sight.
The conflict has displaced more than 12 million people and plunged the country into crisis, with more than 25 million people facing food insecurity.
At least six museums and multiple historic sites have suffered looting or damage amidst the ongoing civil war.
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