Sudanese government announces return to capital Khartoum
The Sudanese government is set to return to the capital Khartoum after having left for Port Sudan in 2023 at the outset of the war in the country.
The prime minister made the announcement on Sunday, while promising "better services" for residents of Khartoum.
"We are back today... the government of hope is returning to the national capital," Kamel Idris told reporters in the city.
A former UN official, Idris dissolved Sudan's caretaker government in June, replacing it with a technocratic "government of hope". He remains unelected and has been criticised by some as being a civilian proxy for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had forced the government, allied with the SAF, to leave the capital and retreat to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The port is Sudan's largest and the main hub for humanitarian aid being shipped into the country, as well as for commercial traffic.
Nearly 13 million people have been displaced since the civil war broke out.
The RSF now holds five states in the Darfur region, while the Sudanese army continues to dominate the remaining 13 states across the south, north, east and central regions, including the capital, Khartoum.
The groups split in 2023, after working in 2019 to overthrow Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's ruler for 30 years.
The RSF, which has been accused of genocide and war crimes, including mass killings in el-Fasher in November, is supported by the UAE, which is its chief supplier of arms.
The SAF has also been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
