Life is gradually and cautiously resuming in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, weeks after the army regained control of the city from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have occupied it since the onset of fighting in April 2023.
Following a rapid offensive in March, the army reclaimed the city centre, including the presidential palace and the airport, forcing the RSF back to the western outskirts of greater Khartoum.
However, the RSF remains within artillery range of the city centre, as shown this week by a bombardment of the army’s General Command headquarters last Saturday, followed by shelling of the presidential palace on Thursday.
Sudan has been devastated by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo since April 2023.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and displaced 13 million people. In greater Khartoum alone, over 3.5 million individuals have been forced to flee their homes, leaving entire neighbourhoods deserted.
If security conditions permit, the UN anticipates that more than two million displaced residents will return to the capital within the next six months.
Kalakla, a neighbourhood on the road to Jebel Awliya, formerly an RSF stronghold, endured significant hardship during the conflict. Its proximity to a military base made it a key target, with RSF fighters surrounding the area and cutting off access to food and water for the civilians trapped inside. In July 2023, activists labelled it as “uninhabitable.”
However, now women are seen on the roadside brewing tea—a scene that was common before the conflict—while a man drags his suitcase beside a minibus that has just arrived in the war-torn district. Public transport has not yet returned to its usual state, as fragile security conditions and deteriorating infrastructure hinder movement.
With buses full, exhausted commuters climb atop vehicles, opting for this risky journey instead of waiting indefinitely for the next bus, which might take hours to arrive.
The army began its advance in the greater Khartoum region in January, and by late March, it had regained control of both Khartoum and the industrial city of Khartoum North, situated just across the Blue Nile.
Amidst the ruins of the presidential palace, army chief Burhan proclaimed: “Khartoum is free.”
The paramilitary forces are now restricted to the southern and western fringes of Omdurman, one of the three cities comprising greater Khartoum.
Both parties involved in the conflict have been accused of committing war crimes, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and the indiscriminate bombing of residential areas.
The RSF, in particular, has gained infamy for systematic sexual violence, ethnic cleansing, and rampant looting.
