Sudan hosts ceremony marking recovery of 570 looted antiquities

Sudan is set to hold an official ceremony on Tuesday, January 13, in Port Sudan to announce the recovery of 570 Sudanese antiquities looted during the country’s ongoing conflict.

In an official invitation, Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism Khalid Al-Eisir announced that the state will formally unveil the recovered artefacts, which span a wide historical range, from prehistoric periods to the modern era.

Minister Al-Eisir described the recovery of the antiquities as a major national achievement, saying it reflects the state’s determination to protect Sudan’s civilisational heritage and reclaim its cultural property, state media SUNA reports.

Sudan’s museums were extensively looted in the early days of the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023. Thousands of priceless artefacts, many dating back to the 3,000-year-old Kingdom of Kush, disappeared during the unrest.

Looted artefacts

According to officials, more than 20 museums across the country were looted or destroyed, with estimated losses valued at about $110 million.

Sites targeted during the fighting included the Presidential Palace Museum, the Armed Forces Museum, the Khalifa House Museum, the Ethnography Museum, and the Natural History Museum at the University of Khartoum.

Authorities previously stated some of the stolen items had already been smuggled across borders, and the whereabouts of the majority of the artefacts remain unknown.

However, since April 2025, the Sudanese government has been working with Interpol and UNESCO to recover looted cultural property believed to have been trafficked to neighbouring countries.

In September last year, UNESCO issued a global alert urging museums, collectors, and auction houses to refrain from acquiring or facilitating the trade of cultural property originating from Sudan.