The Director of Sudan’s National Records Office, Najwa Mahmoud, said that most of the institution’s holdings survived the fires associated with the war. However, she warned that keeping them inside a damaged building could lead to the deterioration of documents and historical manuscripts, particularly those already affected by age and fragility.
She noted that the office’s electronic archive has been lost, explaining that the administration has prepared a digital transformation plan to be launched once the process of organizing and cataloguing the documents is completed.
“We have contacted the Ministry of Communications and other relevant government bodies to provide the necessary support for implementing the plan, ensuring the protection of this national heritage from future risks,” she said.
Najwa Mahmoud further explained that the administration has submitted a request to the Council of Ministers seeking exemption from the relocation decision, stressing that the current building was specifically designed and constructed according to specialized standards for preserving historical documents and the national archive.
She added that relocating more than 30 million documents represents a major logistical challenge and would require an alternative facility equipped with the same technical specifications to ensure protection from deterioration and environmental factors.
