Social media in Sudan has been abuzz for the past two days with poignant clips of the looting and destruction of one of the country's most famous archaeological museums. Videos and photos clearly show the "Bayt al-Khalifa" museum in Omdurman being subjected to looting and vandalism of all its archaeological artifacts, including the first car to enter the country.
The extent of the destruction and devastation to the historical building was evident, with its contents scattered everywhere and rare archaeological artifacts stolen, whether located inside the museum's rooms or secured within display cases after the thick glass of the fortified display cases was shattered by the blows of the hands of thieves and vandals.
The recorded clips documented the looting and destruction, including a video of a colonel in the Sudanese armed forces describing the theft of the museum's artifacts as not just an ordinary theft, but rather a systematic act of destruction aiming to erase the history of the Sudanese people. The officer noted that the perpetrators deliberately smashed the electronic surveillance devices inside the historical building, indicating - according to him - that the offender was aware of their actions!
It is worth mentioning that the "Bayt al-Khalifa" museum is located in the center of Omdurman and was built by Khalifa Abdullah Al-Tayashi during the Mahdist Revolution, which ended the Ottoman Turkish rule over Sudan in 1885. The building remained a residence for Khalifa Muhammad Ahmad Al-Mahdi and a center of governance.
