Sudan’s History Under Threat Amidst Conflict
PARIS – While conflict continues in Sudan, one archaeologist is working hard to protect the country’s rich history. Shadia Abdrabo, a curator from Sudan, is in France on a research trip. Her goal is to create a digital record of Sudan’s historical sites, museum pieces, and old documents.
Since the war began in Sudan in April 2023, some museums have been looted and damaged. It’s not clear exactly what has been lost, but Abdrabo is trying to find out. She believes it’s important to act quickly to protect Sudan’s cultural treasures.
“We must act swiftly to secure our collections. We’ve already lost two museums, and we don’t want to lose any more,” Abdrabo said.
Two regional museums have been almost totally destroyed, and the National Museum in Khartoum has been ransacked. This museum held around 100,000 items, including mummies and royal treasures.
UNESCO has warned about the looting, saying it poses a major threat to Sudan’s cultural heritage.
“My heart was broken. It’s not just objects that we lost. We lost research, we lost studies, we lost many things,” Abdrabo said.
Abdrabo’s work is deeply personal. She comes from Nubia, a region with many historical sites. She was working at the National Museum in Khartoum when the war started.
She and her colleagues have been working to protect Sudan’s museums and sites by moving items to safe places.
UNESCO is helping by training officers to recognize stolen items and asking collectors not to buy them. But some say that Sudan has not received enough attention compared to other countries facing similar crises.
Ancient Sudan was connected to other major civilizations and was a source of gold. Experts say that if we care about ancient cultures, we must also care about Sudan.
A task force called the Sudan Cultural Emergency Recovery Fund has been created to help with recovery efforts.
“What Shadia Abdrabo is doing is urgently essential — establishing what’s missing,” said Geoff Emberling of the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan.
Abdrabo has funding to continue her work, but she worries it won’t be enough time. She is working hard to finish the database, but it is a lot of work.
“I’m trying to finish this database but it’s a lot. I’ve done about 20% of the work. Just for the national museums, I’ve recorded 1,080 objects so far … and then I have to do other museums, sites, archives… I need to add pictures, ID numbers, coordinates …”
Despite the challenges, Abdrabo is determined to protect Sudan’s history.
“We are working on tracking what has been looted. I cry when I talk about this. My only goal and message is to bring back as much as possible, to do as much as I can for Sudan, but it’s not easy for us,” she said.
She worries about the long-term effects of the war on Sudan’s heritage.
“Until the war finishes we just don’t know what is going to happen.”
