Official Source: Over 100 University Libraries and Laboratories Destroyed

Port Sudan – Suanhorizon
The Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, in collaboration with the Sudan National Library, held a workshop on Wednesday at the Police Club in Port Sudan on the impact of the war on culture (books and publishing).
Speaking at the opening session, Graham Abdel-Qader, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, said that more than 100 libraries and laboratories at universities have been destroyed and vandalised. He stressed that the war has not defeated writers; rather, they have continued to author and publish dozens of works, and many research papers have been discussed despite the circumstances. He noted that scientific knowledge does not stop, as “knowledge lives in people’s minds”, emphasising that the National Library was not only a reading space, but also an audio and visual repository. He affirmed that what has been lost will be restored, although rebuilding the nation’s book collections will require great effort.
The Undersecretary stressed the need to reconsider publishing mechanisms and revisit the partnership model between the state and the private sector to ensure sustainability.
He described the National Library as the repository of the efforts of all Sudanese, representing the country’s future knowledge, and called for its modernisation and a move beyond traditional practices. He also thanked the cultural community in Red Sea State for their continued cooperation.
For her part, Amal Osman Al-Hussein, Secretary-General of the National Library, said that the war has cost Sudan its human and material resources, its national memory, publishing houses, and cultural institutions. She noted that the National Library was affected by systematic destruction aimed at erasing identity, and that the war had clearly halted production and driven intellectuals to migrate. Despite the devastation of libraries, she affirmed: “We are still writing, and we will continue to write.”

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