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The Priceless Treasures Fueling Sudan’s Bitter Civil War
Rebel fighters in Sudan’s civil war are looting museums to fund their campaign, with the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums estimating about $150 million in artifacts stolen since the conflict began. Looting targets items dating from Napata and Meroe, with videos showing emptied display cases at the Sudan National Museum; sites in El Fasher and Nyala have also been affected. UNESCO experts warn of possible links between militias and international criminal networks while authorities work to catalog and recover stolen items.
Why It Matters
The looting of cultural heritage compounds the devastation of Sudan’s conflict and finances ongoing violence, hindering post-war recovery and accountability.
Timeline
4 Events
April 2026: Nyala Museum ransacked and repurposed as a military base
April 2026
The Nyala Museum, in the current de facto rebel capital in western Sudan, was ransacked and robbed of its antiquities—including furniture—before being repurposed into a military base.
April 2026: El Fasher palace emptied before bombing
April 2026
In El Fasher, the 19th-century palace that housed the Sultan Ali Dinar Museum was emptied of its contents before being bombed into rubble and ash.
April 2026: Videos show looting at the Sudan National Museum
April 2026
In recent weeks, videos circulating online show empty display cases at the Sudan National Museum that once housed gold and jewelry belonging to the ancient Napata and Meroe kings. NCAM estimates looted treasures total about $150 million since the war began; UNESCO culture expert Abdelrahman Ali Mohamed says the militia has links to international organized criminal gangs and that a database is being compiled to trace and recover looted items.
April 2023: Start of the conflict and museum looting
April 2023
The Sudanese conflict begins and rebel fighters start looting museums to fund their campaign; the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) estimates looted treasures have accumulated since the war's start.