Sudan fighting spreads to World Heritage Site

TERRORISTS are running amok in Sudan. Many of them are not Sudanese. They're flaunting their heinous crimes because no one is stopping them.

From Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Dated Wednesday, 17 January 2024, 1:42 AM GMT - here is a copy in full:

Sudan fighting spreads to World Heritage Site

Fighting in Sudan has spread to the ancient sites of the Kingdom of Kush (ASHRAF SHAZLY)

Sudan's devastating nine-month war between two rival generals is spreading to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an NGO reported late Tuesday, sounding the alarm for the remains of the ancient Kingdom of Kush.

The Regional Network for Cultural Rights 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".

RSF forces have been fighting against troops loyal to Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since April last year.

The NGO said the incident, which took place on Sunday, marked the second time since December that fighting had broken out at the religious sites, located in the northern River Nile state.

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.

The cultural rights group said it had consulted "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".

According to UNESCO, the archaeological sites of the Island of Meroe, located about 220 kilometres (137 miles) from Khartoum, was "the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush" and is home to pyramids, temples and dwellings dating back thousands of years.

The ancient civilisations of Sudan built more pyramids than those of Egypt, but remain largely unknown.

The Island of Meroe, which lies between the Nile and Atbara rivers, is a World Heritage Site whose ancient civilisation borrowed cultural traits from Pharaonic Egypt, Greece and Rome.

More than 13,000 people have been killed since the war began in April, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, and the United Nations says more than seven million people have been displaced.   bur/sbh/pz/dhw/tym

View original: https://news.yahoo.com/sudan-fighting-spreads-world-heritage-014252698.html

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Sudan: Human Rights Groups condemn RSF deployment near World Heritage sites in N. Sudan

ONE day facial recognition technology will help convict Hemeti after his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. 

From Sudan Tribune
Dated Tuesday, 16 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Human Rights Groups condemn RSF deployment near archaeological sites in Sudan

RSF fighters pose at the Meroitic temples of Musawwarat and Naqaa on January 16, 2024

January 16, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Human rights activists in Sudan have expressed grave concern over the deployment of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) personnel near two UNESCO World Heritage sites in northern Sudan, the Meroitic temples of Musawwarat and Naqaa.

The alarm was raised following the release of a video showing Rapid Support Forces personnel present in the Musawwarat area, home to the remarkable Al-Musawarat Al-Safra archaeological complex. The site, located 190 kilometres northeast of Khartoum, is renowned for its temples, shrines, statues, and other artefacts dating back to the Meroitic Kingdom.

Further fueling these concerns, social media pages affiliated with the paramilitary forces posted images of their troops touring the ruins of Naqaa and Musawwarat.

Shortly after these images emerged, the 3rd Infantry Division announced that it had engaged a group of RSF fighters using military aircraft and heavy artillery. This operation reportedly destroyed a significant portion of the RSF contingent and the pursuit of the remaining forces to the state borders.

In response to these developments, the Sudan Emergency Lawyers group released a statement condemning the RSF deployment within the vicinity of these archaeological sites, stating that such actions put them at grave risk. The statement also held the RSF fully responsible for the safety of these historical treasures.

Moreover, the Sudan Emergency Lawyers urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to take prompt action to safeguard these World Heritage sites by engaging with both parties to the conflict and ensuring their protection from harm.

The lawyers emphasized the significance of these ancient sites, noting that they contain a wealth of historical artefacts dating back to the Meroitic Kingdom and are protected under the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The statement also highlighted the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which explicitly prohibits the use of cultural property or its surroundings for military purposes, emphasizing the need for both sides to uphold this international agreement. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article281363/

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