Sudanese government returns to capital after years of war

The transitional authorities were driven out of Khartoum in 2023 by paramilitary forces following the outbreak of clashes

Sudan’s transitional government has returned to the country’s capital after nearly three years of operating from the eastern city of Port Sudan amid a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

On Sunday, Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris told reporters that the return of the “government of hope” to Khartoum marks a step toward “inevitable peace.”

The army-led government was forced to relocate to Port Sudan, a key port city on the Red Sea, after the RSF seized control of Khartoum in 2023. In March last year, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief and de facto leader of the African country, declared Khartoum “free” after his troops regained control of the international airport and major infrastructure.

The authorities have since been working to rebuild the capital, and in September, they announced the withdrawal of thousands of troops to allow residents who fled the city to return.

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More than 15 million people were forced from their homes at the height of the fighting, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Since then, around 3 million people have returned to their communities of origin, including more than 1 million to Khartoum alone, figures published by the UN migration agency on January 9 show.

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The IOM stated that returns “remain fragile and are often occurring in areas with damaged infrastructure, limited services, and ongoing insecurity.”

Speaking on Sunday, Idris declared 2026 a “year of peace” for Sudan, saying the government will improve basic services in Khartoum, including health, education, and electricity.