For over two years, Sudan experienced a brutal war, and now its capital, Khartoum, is witnessing signs of recovery.
People displaced by the violence, which involved confrontations between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, are gradually returning to the city, though their return is poignant.
“We have been stripped of our long-held possessions. Many things that we managed to save by hiding them beneath the house floor were stolen,” explains Afaf al-Tayeb, who moved back to her house in the Al-Qawz neighborhood of Khartoum City in June.
“I had gold, along with brand new food mixers that were all taken. They even took our clothes, leaving us only what we wear, which we wash and wear again.”
Beginning in April 2023, the civil war hit Khartoum the hardest, and the city still exhibits visible scars from the battle.
“After reclaiming the area, we found the house in this state; a shell had struck and burned everything,” says al-Tayeb’s son, Mohamed al-Khedr.
Restoring the City
Amidst the destruction, people have been arriving back in the city since the army reported its reclamation early in the year. The scale of the recovery project is significant.
Altayeb Saad al-Din, a spokesperson for the government of Khartoum province, comments:
“The damage has affected the electric infrastructure entirely, including the major electric substations in Khartoum, which have all suffered damage and looting, as well as the transformers that supply electricity to residential areas.”
The United Nations anticipates that 2 million people will have returned to Khartoum by year’s end, requiring billions in reconstruction costs.
Over 12 million individuals have been displaced across Sudan since the conflict began, with approximately 40,000 fatalities.
Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/08/25/displaced-residents-return-to-war-shattered-khartoum/
