Egypt's Tourism Ministry has strongly condemned the planned sale of Sekhemka pharaonic statue in an auction in Britain.

In a statement, the ministry said it launched a campaign calling on the UK government to keep the ancient statue in Britain.

The ministry termed the planned sale of the Pharaonic piece a violation of the international conventions.

Sekhemka, an ancient scribe of the 5th Pharaonic Dynasty, which dates back to 2300 BC, was celebrated with a sculpture made out of garnet. The scribe’s statue was carved out of the coloured stone, and measured 75 cm in height and 29.5 cm in width. It was taken from Egypt to England during the Mohamed Ali dynasty.