What is considered cultural property in Sudan?
According to the Law of 1999, the following categories of objects are considered “antiquities”:
- any movable or immovable object created and inscribed, excavated or otherwise manufactured or altered by human hands before the year 1821. Included are all objects reconstructed or restored at a later date.
- any historical monument.
- any human or animal remains dating from before 1340.
What sanctions are there?
The sale or donation of registered antiquities owned the state is strictly prohibited. Antiquities must be kept in museums and must not be removed from public spaces.
With permission and under special conditions, however, it is possible to loan archaeological objects or duplicates of archaeological objects to scientific institutions, international museums or educational institutions for a limited period of time.
What sanctions are there?
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Anyone who trades in or exports antiquities is liable to three years’ imprisonment and/or a fine. Anyone who deliberately destroys an already known or recently discovered archaeological site, or demolishes a known archaeological building or part thereof in bad faith, or removes one of its stones or ornaments, or does something that modifies it, shall be punished by not less than three years’ imprisonment, or with a fine, or with both penalties.
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If the perpetrator of one of these offences is an employee of the National Authority or works in the field of antiquities, museums, conservation, restoration, universities or archaeological missions, the perpetrator will be punished by at least 5 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine.
