Crimes of Identity Erasure: Who Protects Sudan’s Historical Artefacts from the Janjaweed War?

almohagig – Azmi Abdul Razek

At the onset of World War II in September 1939, protective measures were enforced on monuments and historical artefacts in France and Britain to prevent looting and destruction. These artefacts were hidden in underground shelters, recognising the importance of preserving their historical identity. Similarly, Italy prioritised moving valuable artworks and cultural items away from conflict zones.

The Decay of Artifacts

Although the war in Sudan began with limited points of engagement, making it feasible to protect these artefacts and preserve the nation’s memory, nothing of the sort happened. Neither the media nor the relevant government agencies addressed the protection of heritage as part of international war laws. To date, no one knows what has happened to the National Museum, the Natural History Museum, historical landmarks, the old Republican Palace, the War Museum, or the Mahdist era landmarks in Omdurman. Are they still standing, have they been damaged, or have they vanished completely?
Let’s take a look at the latest sites occupied by the Rapid Support Forces militia, such as Jebel Moya and the Dinder National Park. The latter is a natural reserve where reports indicated that the Rapid Support Forces militia infiltrated its forest and killed wild animals in poaching activities, causing dozens of animals to flee due to the military presence and sounds of gunfire.

Jebel Moya, which has turned into a military barrack for the rebel forces, houses the Henry Wellcome Sheds at its summit. This is a massive stone structure, four stories high, that once served as a laboratory and administrative office for Henry Wellcome, the British doctor and pharmaceutical pioneer who used the mountain as a testing ground on local children. Jebel Moya also contains secret annexes with railway tracks extending to gold mines, and beneath it lies Henry’s main treasury.

Burning of the Old Palace

One of the significant historical landmarks is the old Republican Palace, whose foundation stone was laid in 1830. It gained historical prominence as the site where the independence flag was raised in January 1956. Although not a military control point, it won’t survive long under the best conditions due to its use as a military barrack from the first day of the war by Hemeti’s forces, resulting in multiple fires.
In Khartoum North, the War Museum houses dozens of rare military artefacts, including photos, uniforms, and weapons from various military eras. It is also located in the crossfire between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, putting all its contents at risk.
The Khartoum Natural History Museum has suffered damage, with all animals and birds dying slowly due to thirst and hunger, including snakes, scorpions, crocodiles, and highly venomous insects, many of which were difficult to collect and unique to Sudan. Despite the cries for help from the museum’s director, Sara Abdullah, efforts to relocate the creatures to safety failed, leading to their gradual extinction, similar to the last known white rhinoceros, named “Sudan.”

Erasing the Nation’s Memory

The National Records House in central Khartoum, which preserves the nation’s memory, is also threatened by the war. It could be consumed by fire if it hasn’t been already. This institution is the second oldest in the region for preserving written heritage, encompassing the collection, classification, and archiving of documents. It holds around thirty million documents in two hundred collections, along with maps, manuscripts, and rare books. However, this significance means nothing to the Janjaweed, who wouldn’t hesitate to use it as a weapons store, just as they did with the National Museum. They desecrated artefacts from the Kandakas (Queens) and the tombs of ancient Kushite kings, displaying them on social media as victims of Burhan’s prisons! Among these artefacts is the statue of King Taharqa (690 – 664 BC), recently moved to the National Museum at the Nile confluence, yet UNESCO, responsible for heritage, hasn’t acted to preserve Sudanese heritage, as if it doesn’t concern them.

By targeting the Republican Palace, National Museum, National Records House, radio and television, the University of Khartoum, the Musawarat area, and pre-colonial era artefacts, this war, or those behind it, are deliberately violating all that is national and historical. This warrants applying the ideas of French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs to interpret attacks on landmarks representing social identity during wars, known as “identity destruction” or “crimes of identity killing” according to UNESCO’s terminology, describing the deliberate demolition of buildings.

Looting of the House of the Khalifa

Despite the Khalifa House currently being in an area controlled by the army in Omdurman, it was looted by the Rapid Support Forces. The looting included extensive vandalism to its walls and contents, resulting in the disappearance of artefacts such as Osman Digna’s prayer beads, swords of Emir Abu Qarja and Emir Najumi, and the drinking cup of Khalifa Abdullah al-Taaishi, among other museum items. The museum’s surveillance system was also destroyed to cover up the looters’ actions. The family of Khalifa Abdullah al-Taaishi condemned what they described as systematic vandalism by the Rapid Support Forces at the Khalifa Museum in Omdurman. They announced their intention to contact relevant organisations and authorities to take legal action against this assault and work on repairing and recovering what was damaged and stolen.
Undoubtedly, the sorrow from the destruction of historical landmarks cannot be compared to the trauma of losing lives and the agony of displacement. However, preserving heritage is crucial due to the connection communities have with their cultural landmarks. Despite this, there have been no visible official or other efforts to protect historical artefacts and cultural heritage. Committees could have been formed to issue appeals, strive to reach these artefacts, relocate them to safe locations, or raise awareness about their importance.

Who Will Sound the Alarm?

Moreover, even UNESCO, the organisation responsible for protecting heritage, has not taken serious action, as if the issue does not concern them. At the very least, they have not sounded the alarm as they did in Ukraine, where significant efforts were made to relocate cultural items away from danger, together with state institutions in Kyiv. These efforts included secret shelters and transporting boxed items to the western part of the country, away from the southeastern areas under Russian control. In Sudan, however, no one seems to care, and it appears that historical artefacts and cultural sites hold little significance, whether to the authorities or UNESCO.