ALBAWABA - A local NGO released an alarming statement warning of the toll the war in Sudan has taken upon UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as the two warring generals, Rapid Support Forces's Hemedti and the army's al-Burhan, continue to tear through the country for the ninth month.
The Regional Network for Cultural Rights, a local Sudanese NGO, said it "strongly condemns the incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, on the sites of Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra".
The Regional Network for Cultural Rights further stated that this incident counts as the second time an important heritage site has been affected by the ongoing war in the African country since December.
State authorities also reported "an incursion by the RSF, repulsed by the air force", claiming that "calm has returned" without mentioning whether the sites suffered any damage.
"reliable sources, images, and videos posted on social networks showing fighting between the army and the RSF, which probably exposed the sites to vandalism, destruction, looting, and theft" the Cultural Rights group stated.
According to UNESCO reports, the archaeological sites of the Island of Meroe, located about 220 kilometers (137 miles) from Khartoum, were "the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush" and contain pyramids, temples, and dwellings dating back thousands of years.
Meroe Island, located between the Nile and Atbara rivers, is a World Heritage Site whose ancient civilization drew influences from Pharaonic Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
The power struggle broke out on April 15 between warring generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, and rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti", former al-Burhan deputy and Rapid Support Forces commander.
Since then, at least 13,000 people have been killed, an estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, in addition to more than 7 million people being displaces.
