اين نجد الارشيف السوداني؟

Introduction:
The absence of documentation has buried many historical narratives that emerged within the Sudanese context. This lack has resulted in a kind of obscurity in understanding history and the lives of different communities in Sudan, thereby reinforcing certain narratives or perceptions—some accurate, others not—leading to continuous confusion in understanding Sudan as a “we,” a self-reflective entity belonging to its context.
Undoubtedly, the modern state bears the responsibility of archiving. However, we are faced with a context where the state emerged as an “imposed” entity within society, which in turn reinforced specific techniques and methods for imposing documentation, preserving information, and reproducing it in history. Modernity’s policies contributed to the detachment of institutions concerned with archiving from the societal context, confining them to the “official” narrative. This created a gap between the archiving institutions and the society, which operates on a high level of oral tradition, retaining memories and tales within the confines of social narratives.
Politics and history in Sudan have been marked by ongoing conflict and extensive attention. We are still in a country where its history is shaped by the continuation of its conflicts, meaning we are dealing with a canvas formed by the blood of its people. This is evident in the fact that the moments where history ends and begins are always moments of conflict and struggle. This conflict doesn’t just stop at history or its form or who committed the sin of the moment, but also extends to its documentation and the space where it is preserved. Perhaps the moment of April 15th was the harshest on the memory and archive of the Sudanese people and on their personal archiving, which they created away from modern institutions. The war and displacement to safer areas destroyed the archives of families who kept the memory of the city alive.
This article seeks to explore the archive within the Sudanese context, focusing on its formation and institutions. It is based on the hypothesis that the Sudanese archive is shaped by the concept of “conflict and contention,” with narratives built around division and fragmentation. There is no shared space for the archive that represents a unity where people—whether communities, the state, or even those working on it—can meet.

This claim may seem abrupt, but it stems from the reality we feel within our social context and institutions and their connection to society and effectiveness within it. Therefore, these assertions are made in a way that renders the archive a “foreign” concept within our context. However, we find a certain authenticity in our archival institutions, which, despite the neglect they have faced, still resist in the context of a war that devours history.

Where can we find the Sudanese archive?
We can find the Sudanese archive in its official form within several government-run institutions that reflect the evolution of the state’s official memory. Despite changes in governance, these institutions have maintained their presence, particularly in 2023, when the state declared it the “Year of Museums.”

The National Records Office contains 3 million historical documents related to Sudan’s history, including the history of prominent families in Sudan. These documents date back to distant periods of Sudan’s social history, including records from some Islamic kingdoms before the formation of the modern union.
The National Records Office of Sudan was established in 1916 when the British administration considered creating an office dedicated to collecting and organizing financial documents to facilitate the administration of a vast and sprawling country. In the early 1920s, the scope of interest expanded to include judicial papers and correspondences. In 1948, the British administration in Sudan established the Sudan Archives Office, managed by a committee called the Sudan Archives Committee. In addition to collecting official documents, this institution also focused on gathering private documents held by individuals and families.
In 1921, the Archives Committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Judicial Secretary, focusing solely on official documents and records. In 1953, the British historian and academic Peter Holt, seconded from Gordon College, was appointed to head the Sudan Archives, and he was assisted by the Sudanese Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Salim, who managed the office until 1995, followed by Ali Saleh Karar.
The idea of establishing an entity to preserve government documents dates back to 1916, when the British administration in Sudan began to recognize the problem of preserving administrative, financial, and judicial papers. Previously, the responsibility for safeguarding these documents rested with three directors. As a result, papers accumulated, some were lost, and others were burned. For these reasons, the Financial Secretary considered establishing a central body to organize financial correspondence, which was prone to loss and accumulation. However, this idea did not come to fruition until 1921, when a document preservation center was opened under the Administrative Secretary, tasked with collecting and organizing financial documents and records.

In 1923, Mr. Leable, the Administrative Secretary, introduced a unified system for numbering files at the center, leaving the preservation of regional documents to the discretion of local directors. The file numbering system served as an administrative basis for organizing correspondence and documents in a structured and accessible manner, allowing them to be retrieved with minimal effort and in the shortest possible time. This system was divided into sections; for example, section 159 was designated for the main topics of that time, with number 1 for administration, number 2 for agriculture, and number 66 for tribes, and so forth.

Sections from 7090 onward were reserved for future use as needed, with approval from the Administrative Secretary’s office. Sections 91 and above were left as an open reserve for use without requiring approval from the Administrative Secretary. This system was distributed to all directors in various centers for implementation and adaptation as needed. The unified system fulfilled its purpose of facilitating administrative work and linking it to the Administrative Secretary’s office. Through these measures, the British administration ensured the preservation and organization of documents according to the numbering system until further notice, as the saying goes.

Before the establishment of the Sudan Archives Office, various ideas and proposals were explored. One of the Sudanese intelligence officers suggested, when the Khalifa House Museum was established to collect Mahdist heritage, transferring the main collections of historical documents, including Mahdist documents, to the museum for display and selling part of them for the museum’s benefit. This proposal was not adopted, and the Mahdist documents remained in the Administrative Secretary’s office. In 1948, when Gordon Memorial College was upgraded to university status, the idea of transferring historical documents to it emerged, but the Administrative Secretary opposed the idea and ordered the establishment of an office to collect and organize historical and government documents. Consequently, the Sudan Archives Committee was formed, holding its first meeting in February 1949, during which it established the organizational procedures for handling documents.

Several secretariat employees managed this office before Mr. Peter Holt was entrusted with the responsibility. He laid the foundation for the Sudanese archive by organizing the Mahdist and military intelligence papers. In September 1953, Mr. Holt proposed separating the Sudan Archives Office from the Ministry of Interior and creating an Assistant Archivist position to be filled by a Sudanese university graduate, in line with the policy of Sudanizing government positions prior to independence.

Museums:

The Sudanese museums, currently comprising 24 operational and 8 proposed museums, have been extensively discussed in historical literature. Here, we aim to focus on the most important museums that contain significant aspects of Sudan’s social and political history.

Sudan National Museum in Khartoum:
It is one of the largest museums in Sudan, located on Nile Street next to the Friendship Hall, with its main entrance facing the Blue Nile, just before the confluence of the two Niles. Preparations for the opening of this museum began in the 1960s, and it was officially opened in 1971. The museum contains artifacts from all periods of Sudanese civilization, from the Stone Ages through the Islamic period, including Nubian and Christian artifacts.

Architectural Design of the Museum:
The museum’s courtyard and garden serve as an open-air museum, featuring various temples, tombs, memorials, and statues of different sizes. These were rescued before the High Dam waters submerged their original locations and were reassembled around a water basin representing the Nile River, making them appear as if they were in their original locations. The most important exhibits include the temples of East and West Semna and Buhen, as well as the tomb of Prince Hajo to Hetep and the columns of the Faras Cathedral. The museum is open every day of the week except Monday.

Establishment and Foundation of the Museum:
It is one of the largest museums in Sudan, first established at the Faculty of Arts in 1904 and opened at its current location on Nile Street in 1971. The museum has been visited by many prominent figures from around the world and contains archaeological artifacts from various regions of Sudan, dating from prehistoric times to the Islamic kingdoms. The museum’s indoor halls include many stone, leather, bronze, iron, and wooden artifacts, including sculptures, pottery, ornaments, murals, weapons, and more. The museum’s courtyard and garden serve as an open-air museum featuring various temples, tombs, memorials, and statues of different sizes. These were rescued before the High Dam waters submerged the Wadi Halfa region and were reassembled around a water basin representing the Nile River, making them appear as if they were in their original locations.

Republican Palace Museum: The Republican Palace Museum is one of the important museums in Khartoum and contains historical artifacts related to the Republican Palace, the seat of government in Sudan, during the successive modern historical periods of Sudan. It also houses various other archaeological and heritage artifacts. It is the first museum of its kind to focus on the artifacts of Sudanese rulers from 1884 to 2007 and was officially opened on December 31, 1999.

Function of the Museum:
The museum documents the history of Sudan’s rulers and national symbols, preserving a part of Sudan’s national heritage from the risk of extinction and damage, storing it scientifically, and making it available to interested parties and visitors. It chronicles the evolution of Sudan’s governance system during modern times and plays an educational role, reaching students, researchers, and other museum visitors. It also revives cultural activities through lectures, seminars, and participation in national and international events and exhibitions.

Naming of the Museum:
The Republican Palace Museum takes its name from the Republican Palace, as most of its artifacts and exhibits are related to the palace. The museum building itself is a historical monument. It was built in 1912 as a Byzantine-style cathedral, where British governors performed their religious rituals. The cathedral was closed until it was converted into a museum for the palace’s artifacts and historical items in 1999, after the removal of the bell tower.

Sections of the Museum:
– Car Gallery: Outside the main building, displaying the old presidential cars used by Sudan’s rulers during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium period from 1889 to 1956, and the former presidents in the post-independence period from 1956 onwards. The exhibits include a Rolls-Royce gifted by the Khedive of Egypt in 1924 to Sir Robert Howe, the then British Governor-General of Sudan, and another Rolls-Royce gifted to Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiry in 1984, which was bulletproof. The gallery also includes cars used by former British governors of Sudan from 1940 to 1955, including a 1954 Rolls-Royce, used by the last British Governor-General of Sudan, Knox Helm, and later by members of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council after Sudan gained independence in 1956. The car was also used for the transportation of visiting foreign leaders, including Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who visited Sudan in November 1959.
– Paintings and Photographs: The museum houses oil paintings and photographs of Sudanese rulers before independence and in the post-independence era, including portraits of King Fuad, King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan (1939-1953), and Lord Allenby, the British High Commissioner to Egypt. There are also portraits and photographs of Sudanese presidents, including Ismail al-Azhari, Ibrahim Abboud, Jaafar Nimeiry, and Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab, as well as Sudanese prime ministers, including Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub, Sirr al-Khatim al-Khalifa, and Al-Jazouli Dafalla.
– Medals and Presidential Gifts: The museum includes a collection of medals, decorations, and orders used in Sudan, including the Order of the Nile, one of Sudan’s highest honors. It also displays various types of gifts received by Sudanese presidents after independence, including a large jug presented by former Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to President Jaafar Nimeiry during his visit to Sudan.
– Musical Instruments, Utensils, and Furniture: This section contains a variety of musical instruments, utensils, dishes, and furniture used in the Republican Palace during previous eras, including presidential tables made of wood. The most notable is the table used by Ismail al-Azhari, the first President of Sudan, and Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, adorned with copper decorations, displayed in the museum’s main hall. Also on display is the wooden chair used by President Ismail al-Azhari, a rectangular table used at the opening of Sudan’s first Advisory Council in 1946, and a piano played by General Charles Gordon, Governor-General of Sudan, who was killed by the Mahdist forces in 1896. Another large electric piano was brought to the palace by Governor-General Wingate Pasha in 1916.

The Khalifa House Museum: The Khalifa House Museum in Omdurman is located in an area rich in artifacts from the Mahdist state era. It was previously the residence of Khalifa Abdullah al-Taashi during the Mahdist state and the successor to the leader of the Mahdist revolution, Imam Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi. The building was constructed in 1887 by the Italian architect Pietro, and an attached two-story section was added in 1891. The house was transformed into a historical museum in 1928 and contains many rare artifacts from that period, as well as items dating back to before the Mahdist era.

Establishment and Foundation of the Museum:
The museum was established between 1886 and 1888, with the upper floor added in 1890. The house covers an area of 3,500 meters longitudinally from north to south and 129 meters from east to west. The house was built by a man named Hamad Abdul Nour, with the plans drawn by an Italian named Pietro. The house is an architectural masterpiece and was the residence of Khalifa Abdullah al-Taashi during his lifetime, serving as his ruling office.

The Khalifa House Museum contains many rare artifacts from the Mahdist period, as well as items dating back to before the Mahdist era, such as:
– Firearms: Including pistols from the Turkish period and others from the Mahdist state, such as spears and swords.
– Clothing: Including Jibbas (a type of traditional garment).
– Historical Reports and Correspondence.
– Coins and Currency.
– Mahdist Flags.
– Pottery Pieces and Coins from the Napata and Meroe Periods.
– Stone Tools and the Printing Press Known as the “Stone Printing Press”.

Sections of the Museum:
– Visitor’s Room.
– Shura Council Hall.
– Ministers’ Rooms.
– Residence of the Khalifa’s Wives, including Umm Kulthum bint al-Mahdi.

The house contains several doors, including a door for his wives and children, a door for visitors, a door for the mosque, and a door for Prince Yaqub, Khalifa Abdullah’s brother. Each person could only enter through the designated door. The Khalifa’s house also has tunnels, including one leading to the Treasury (Omdurman Prison) and another leading to the House of Amanah (Al-Riyadh, Omdurman).