On Saturday, the Deputy Director of the Sudanese National Museum stated that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have taken control of the museum in Khartoum and requested that the paramilitary group preserve the valuable artifacts inside, including mummies. Ikhlas Abdul Latif mentioned that RSF members, who have been fighting the army for power since mid-April, entered the museum on Friday. She added, "The museum staff are unaware of the situation inside as they have stopped working there following the sudden outbreak of conflict, forcing the police guarding the facility to withdraw."
The RSF shared a video showing a soldier denying any damage to the museum or the possibility of it occurring, inviting individuals or organizations to visit the museum to verify his claims. The footage showed some RSF fighters covering exposed mummies with sheets and sealing white boxes that housed the mummies. It remains unclear when the mummies were revealed and why.
The museum building is located on the banks of the Nile in central Khartoum, near the Central Bank, in an area experiencing some of the fiercest fighting in the current conflict. Among thousands of priceless artifacts are mummified remains dating back to 2500 B.C., making them some of the oldest and most significant artifacts in the world. Hatem Noor, the former director of the National Museum, noted that the building also houses statues, pottery, ancient murals, and artifacts from various periods, ranging from the Stone Age to the Christian and Islamic eras.
Roxane Trio, a member of a French archaeological team working in Sudan, stated that the team is monitoring the museum's condition via satellite and has already detected signs that may indicate damage occurring prior to Friday, including signs of a fire.
Despite multiple ceasefire declarations, including a truce mediated by Saudi Arabia and the United States that was agreed upon by both the army and RSF, fighting continues, with residents reporting clashes this afternoon, including aerial and artillery bombardments in southern Khartoum and northern areas of the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri, as well as the Eastern Nile region.
Following the ongoing clashes and bombings, as well as the occupation of civilian buildings, Washington and Riyadh halted talks and the U.S. announced sanctions on the commercial interests of both parties involved in the conflict.
Since the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the Sudanese government has been led by a Sovereign Council chaired by Army Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who appointed RSF Commander Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, as his deputy. Both sides are now leading rival forces in a bloody struggle for power, with Burhan having dismissed Hemeti from his position last month.
The UN Security Council called on both parties on Friday to cease hostilities to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
