Coinciding with Sudanese Armed Forces Day Celebrations, Military Museum Prepares to Reopen to the Public| Sudanow Magazine

The Sudanese people and their national government are marking the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanization of the command of the Sudanese Armed Forces. This year’s celebrations are taking place amid official and popular preparations across Khartoum State and other cities, coinciding with ongoing military operations and field movements aimed at restoring stability and national sovereignty.

As part of these celebrations, the administration of the Military Museum is working to rehabilitate the museum and reopen it to the public on August 14.

To shed light on this significant historical occasion, Sudanow held an exclusive interview with the Director of the Military Museum, Lieutenant General Dr. Omer Al-Noor Ahmed, to discuss preparations for the reopening, assess the progress of the work, and learn more about what is taking place inside the museum.

Dr. Omer Al-Noor began by explaining that the Military Museum is located in Bahri, in what was formerly the premises of the Mechanical Transport Department. The site occupies a strategic location overlooking the Blue Nile to the south. Like many other military facilities, the museum’s buildings sustained damage as a result of indiscriminate shelling. However, the artifacts preserved inside the museum remained intact and were not damaged by the attacking forces, despite the museum being targeted.

He noted that the officers stationed at the museum put up a determined defense and withstood the heavy attacks directed against the facility until the attackers were driven away.

The Director added that the museum houses exhibition halls displaying Sudanese military equipment, as well as a library, an archival repository, and the Matka Tuhfa section, which showcases aspects of Sudanese folk heritage.

The museum’s exhibition halls are named after prominent military officers who made their mark on Sudan’s history. Among them is the hall named after Lieutenant General Muhammad Pasha Al-Jaali, the first Sudanese Commander-in-Chief to assume the position following the end of British command.

The hall consists of four wings.

The Prince Lieutenant Zein Al-Abidin Wing contains a large collection of rare and historically significant photographs documenting successive periods of Sudan’s history, beginning with the period of British rule and the Sudanization of military command, and continuing through the eras of Lieutenant General Ibrahim Abboud, Field Marshal Jaafar Nimeiry, Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Swar Al-Dahab, and Field Marshal Omar Al-Bashir.

The Lieutenant General Al-Fatih Muhammad Bashir Bushara Wing displays historic weapons and ammunition, tracing the development of weaponry from stone and traditional weapons through automatic rifles and locally known weapons such as the Abu Ashara and Abu Khamsa, to modern firearms.

The Major General Mahmoud Abdelrahman Al-Faki Wing is dedicated to historic military uniforms and traditional national attire worn by Sudanese armed forces throughout different historical periods, beginning with the Funj Sultanate and the Mahdist era, and continuing through the Sudanese Army, the Sudanese Armed Forces, the People's Armed Forces, and up to the present day.

The fourth wing, the Brigadier General Staff Abdel Wahab Al-Bakri Wing, houses orders, medals, decorations, archival documents, gifts, and historical artifacts. It also includes a special section dedicated to the personal belongings of the late Lieutenant General Al-Zubair Mohamed Salih.

Dr. Omer said that the museum administration is working tirelessly to ensure that the museum and its exhibition halls are fully prepared for reopening in conjunction with the national Armed Forces Day celebrations on August 14. Exhibitions prepared by various military units are scheduled to arrive on August 11, 2026. A competition will be held among the participating units to encourage them to create engaging and attractive displays, with a judging committee assigned to evaluate the exhibitions.

The museum will also provide local artisans and craftspeople with an opportunity to organize bazaars in cooperation with Sudanese youth, allowing them to showcase their talents and handicrafts.

The celebrations will also feature traditional carnivals, open-air theater performances, and free medical outreach days organized in cooperation with the Military Medical Hospital.

The Director of the Military Museum extended an open invitation to all segments of Sudanese society, as well as those interested in knowledge, heritage, archaeology, and history, to attend the celebrations and join the museum administration in marking this important occasion.

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Omer Al-Noor emphasized that the Military Museum’s participation in the celebrations reflects the broader educational and cultural mission it seeks to fulfill for all segments of Sudanese society—from kindergarten children and school pupils to university students, military affairs enthusiasts, and heritage researchers. The museum, he said, plays an important role in bringing together the military and cultural spheres.

From 1998 to 2007, the Military Museum operated as a department under the name Department of Military Museums and Military Antiquities. It serves as a repository for Sudanese military archives, preserves the collections of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and documents their history. Its mission includes establishing a systematic historical record of the wars, military campaigns, locations, and battles fought by Sudanese forces throughout different historical periods.

The museum has continued to fulfill its mission by collecting and cataloguing military artifacts entrusted to it. It has documented the histories of more than forty military units through its publications and has recorded a number of interviews with former military commanders. It later became an independent entity under the name Department of Museums, Exhibitions and Military History, reporting to the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff.

This year, Sudanese Armed Forces Day marks the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanization of military command—that is, the assumption of command by the first Sudanese military leadership on August 14, 1954. Official preparations are now underway for the national celebration, which embodies the values of resilience, sacrifice, and loyalty to the Sudanese Armed Forces.

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