As Sudan’s army retakes ground, some displaced residents return to ravaged capital

The morning sun cast long shadows as Abdulilah Mohamed, an elderly resident of the Shambat neighbourhood in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, returned to his family home after fleeing from civil war.

The streets, strewn with debris and remnants of conflict, led him to a structure barely standing after two years of fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“They left nothing behind. They took everything and destroyed everything,” he lamented, referring to the RSF while he stood amid the broken walls of his house and fragments of his family's belongings.

“I came here specifically to assess the situation and see the life so my family doesn't come and get confused about what to do. I came first, and then I can evaluate the situation for them here,” he said.

Mohamed is one of millions who once lived in the greater capital area, which includes the cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri, and were forced to flee when war broke out in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and the RSF ahead of a transition to civilian rule.

Entire neighbourhoods in Khartoum were flattened, though some parts of Omdurman managed to retain access to utilities.

As the army pushes back RSF fighters and regains ground in the capital, a cautious trickle of residents is making the journey home.

Huda Ibrahim, who fled to Port Sudan, more than 800km from the capital, said the longing to return never faded.

“We were forced to stay away,” she said while on a bus en route to Khartoum.

Mohamed Ali, the driver, noted a shift in mood.

“You can sense that their sense of security has grown,” he told Reuters.

However, for many the road home is lined with uncertainty. The conflict has devastated the nation, claiming countless lives and displacing millions.

“Their war is not a war against the government, it's a war against the citizens and destruction,” Mohamed said.

The return of more residents hinges on the government's ability to rebuild.

Rayan Khaled, a young woman who returned from Egypt, highlighted the lack of services and electricity as major obstacles.

She said: “I believe if the government could provide electricity to the people everyone would return to their homes.”

Reuters