Sudanese authorities announced the recovery of 570 artifacts looted during the ongoing armed conflict between the government army and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country. This was reported by the Chinese agency Xinhua, citing a statement by Sudan's Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism, Graham Abdel Kader.
The announcement was made during a ceremony for the return of the antiquities in Port Sudan. The Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism described the recovery of the relics as a "major national achievement." According to him, the recovered items belong to various historical periods, ranging from prehistoric times to the modern era.
Abdel Kader noted that the returned or preserved artifacts have already been cataloged, reorganized, and are ready for re-exhibition in the country's museums.
Following an inventory, it was determined that approximately 4,300 artifacts were missing from various museums across Sudan. The National Museum in Khartoum suffered the most significant damage, with rebels removing over 4,000 items from there.
Since April, Sudan has been collaborating with UNESCO and Interpol to recover artifacts that were illegally smuggled abroad through neighboring countries.
In September 2025, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry reported that Russian archaeologists were assisting the country in recovering and restoring archaeological heritage looted during the armed conflict.
The civil war in Sudan between the RSF and the national army has been ongoing since April 2023.
