Graham: Over 100 University Libraries and Laboratories Destroyed

The Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, in cooperation with the Sudanese National Library, held a workshop on Wednesday at the Port Sudan Police Club on the impact of war on culture (books and publishing).

At the workshop’s opening session, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism, Graham Abdel Qader, stated that over one hundred university libraries and laboratories were destroyed and damaged. He emphasized that books were not defeated during wartime; rather, dozens of books were authored and printed, and dozens of research papers were discussed. He pointed out that science and scientific research never cease because knowledge resides in people’s minds. He explained that the National Library was not only a source of reading but also of audio and visual content. He affirmed that what was lost will be recovered, and that restoring the books will require a significant effort.

The Undersecretary stressed the need to reconsider publishing practices and the importance of a partnership between the government and the private sector for sustainability. He pointed out that the National Library is a repository of the efforts of all Sudanese people and represents future knowledge, calling for its modernization and a move beyond traditions. He thanked the cultural community in Red Sea State for their continued cooperation.

For her part, Ms Amal Osman Al-Hussein, Secretary-General of the National Library, said that the war deprived Sudan of human and material resources, the nation’s memory, publishing houses, and cultural institutions. She noted that the National Library was affected by the systematic destruction aimed at erasing identity, and that the war also clearly impacted the cessation of production and the brain drain.