Sudanese authorities adopt incentives to recover looted artefacts

January 17, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities announced on Saturday the approval of financial incentives for individuals who hand over artefacts or provide accurate information leading to their discovery, as part of efforts to protect national heritage and recover looted antiquities.

The move follows an announcement on Jan. 13 by the Deputy Director General of the General Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Abbas Bakhit, who said the service had recovered 570 artefacts looted during the war and thwarted a plot to smuggle a large number of items abroad.

Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism Khalid Aleisir issued an appeal to citizens who have found or are keeping archaeological items, describing the legal surrender of these artefacts as a “noble national act” to preserve the country’s civilizational memory.

“The state is committed to rewarding any citizen who hands over artefacts or indicates their whereabouts with a financial reward in appreciation of their efforts,” Aleisir said in a statement.

The ministry’s press office said the initiative aims to strengthen community partnership and encourage public participation in safeguarding Sudan’s legacy for future generations.

The National Museum in Khartoum was subjected to widespread looting while under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, before the army regained the site in March 2024. Other targeted locations include the museums of the Presidential Palace, the Armed Forces, the Khalifa House, the Ethnography Museum, the Natural History Museum at the University of Khartoum, and the Sultan Ali Dinar Museum in El Fasher.