Sudanese paramilitary fighters have taken over the national museum in Khartoum, its deputy director said on Saturday, raising fears for the safety of important artefacts including ancient mummies amidst a deadly war.
Members of the Rapid Support Forces group that has been fighting the army for seven weeks for control of Sudan entered the museum on Friday, said deputy director Ikhlas Abdellatif, urging combatants to protect the nation's heritage.
The museum is in a large building on the banks of the Nile in central Khartoum, near the central bank in an area where some of the fiercest fighting has taken place. The museum also contains statues, pottery and ancient murals, with artefacts from the stone age through to the Christian and Islamic eras, said former director Hatim Alnour.
After continued clashes, bombardment and occupation of civilian buildings, Washington and Riyadh suspended the talks and the U.S. said it was imposing sanctions on the two sides' business interests.
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