By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Sudan, 28 January 2026 - After nearly three years of devastating civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), residents and authorities in Sudan’s capital are cautiously beginning to rebuild infrastructure, restore services and revive daily life in a city scarred by conflict.
The capital, once home to about nine million people, shows signs of recovery even as many challenges, from economic hardship to unexploded ordnance, continue to slow progress.
In central Khartoum, what once were bustling government buildings now stand overgrown with weeds and pockmarked by warfare.
Abandoned vehicles, shattered glass and broken furniture lie beneath vines in the courtyard of the Finance Ministry, where a guard noted that “the grounds haven’t been cleared of mines,” underscoring the ongoing danger posed by unexploded ordnance even as reconstruction efforts proceed.
The army-aligned government, which retreated to Port Sudan on the Red Sea early in the war, is now planning a gradual return to Khartoum after regaining control of the capital in March 2025.
Main roads are being cleared and construction cranes now punctuate parts of the skyline, signaling a tentative return of state functions and economic activity.
Government headquarters, including the general secretariat and cabinet offices, have already been refurbished, but many ministries remain abandoned, with walls still bearing bullet holes.
Life is slowly returning for some residents. Halima Ishaq, 52, who fled south when the violence began in April 2023, returned to her neighbourhood just weeks ago.
She told AFP that business at her tea stall is “not good” and that “the neighbourhood is still empty,” with daily earnings far below pre-war levels. Another trader, Abdellah Ahmed, a glazier, lamented that “people have no money and the big companies haven’t come back yet,” highlighting how economic recovery is lagging behind physical reconstruction.
A mix of over a million returnees and ongoing displacement defines the human landscape of the city.
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After fierce battles, many inhabitants are beginning to come back, but a significant portion of the population remains dispersed across other parts of Sudan and neighbouring countries.
The United Nations estimates that rebuilding critical infrastructure in Khartoum alone will cost at least $350 million, reflecting the scale of destruction and the resource deficits facing national authorities.
Khartoum’s international airport, renovated in hopes of reopening soon, remains closed following a drone strike, and key commercial districts such as Omdurman’s Liberty Street have only a handful of shops operating. “Many shopkeepers aren’t coming back,” said appliance seller Osman Nadir, adding that suppliers are now demanding repayment for goods destroyed during the conflict.
Daily life also reflects a precarious sense of normalcy. Streets are often “dark and deserted” at night, according to 26-year-old medical intern Taghreed Awad al-Reem Saeed, who noted that residents feel unsafe and that many families are still living apart. But community spirit persists: volunteers are repairing cultural landmarks like the National Theatre, once graced by luminaries such as Umm Kulthum and Louis Armstrong, and clearing stadium grounds at Al-Merreikh Stadium, home to one of Africa’s oldest football clubs.
Despite these cautious steps, Sudan’s economic prospects remain strained. The prolonged conflict has decimated oil revenues and disrupted agricultural and commercial production, leaving wide gaps in public services and employment.
Analysts say that while reconstruction is underway, it will require substantial investment, humanitarian assistance and security guarantees before the capital can fully regain its former vitality.
As Khartoum’s residents clear debris, restore infrastructure and try to return to work and family life, the task of rebuilding transcends physical structures.
It involves reviving markets, restoring social trust and healing the deep socioeconomic scars left by years of war.
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