Omdurman.. a city resisting bombing, hunger and disease

Prepared and Edited by: Sudan Tribune

Omdurman, September 22, 2024 – War continues to ravage Karari, north of Omdurman, and the old neighborhoods of southern Omdurman, though it remains one of the few areas in Khartoum State retaining some semblance of the capital’s former life.

The conflict, which erupted between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, has devastated the Sudanese capital, turning Khartoum’s cities into battlegrounds, especially with the RSF’s expanding control.

However, Karari locality, situated at the far northern part of Omdurman and under the army’s control, remains vibrant, particularly after the army extended its control southward and ousted the RSF from the old neighborhoods of Omdurman in a fierce battle last March.

Old districts like Wad Nobawi, Beit al-Mal, Al-Malazmin, Bant, Al-Mawradah, Al-Abbassiyah, Abu Rouf, Wad Al-Banna, and Al-Qamayer are slowly recovering, but the vibrancy of the capital can still be felt in the northern suburbs like Thawrah (Revolution) and the northern rural areas of Karari.

The people of Omdurman have become accustomed to the signs and tragedies of war. Although crowded with civilians, the city is still subject to artillery shelling, and the presence of army checkpoints, along with the sounds of gunfire and light weapons, are constant features of the area.

Despite the ongoing war, residents are beginning to return to the city. They are here to stay, despite the risk.

The Game of Death and Chance

The RSF directs its rocket launchers and artillery fire toward Omdurman from its strongholds along the eastern bank of the Nile, spanning from Al-Mogran and Tuti Island in Khartoum, through neighborhoods in Khartoum North, all the way to the northern rural areas of Khartoum North, including Al-Jaili and Qari.

Consequently, old Omdurman, from its far southern edges in Bant and Al-Muhandisin, through Thawrah, to the northern rural areas in Sarorab and Jazirat Islaj, is subjected to repeated artillery shelling.

The RSF, from its positions west of Omdurman in parts of Um Bada, also targets army-controlled areas in the western districts of Thawrah.

According to an official in Khartoum State, headquartered in Karari locality, local authorities do not have accurate statistics on the dead and injured due to RSF shelling on Omdurman since the war began.

The official, speaking anonymously as he was not authorized to speak to the press, stated that the intensity of the shelling has recently increased, along with the number of casualties, including deaths, injuries, and damage to homes and public facilities.

Resistance committees, youth-led groups that spearheaded protests against the military coup by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on October 25, 2021, were the ones initially responsible for reporting casualties from the shelling.

However, as the shelling has intensified, local authorities have begun to recognize the need for official reports to the Khartoum State Ministry of Health concerning the dead and injured from the attacks.

In the latest round of heavy shelling by the RSF on Wednesday, September 18, the Khartoum State Ministry of Health reported two fatalities, including a child, and ten injuries, with the wounded transported to several hospitals due to artillery shells falling on the neighborhoods of Al-Manarah and Thawrah in Karari locality.

The RSF’s artillery, often fired in retaliation to shelling from the army in Khartoum North, strikes densely populated civilian areas in Omdurman, making children and women particularly vulnerable to death or severe injury.

In addition to its residents, Omdurman has become a refuge for those fleeing the fighting from Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Um Bada locality west of Omdurman, who have chosen to endure the shelling and military presence in Karari locality.

Faiz Hassan al-Bari, who relocated from northern Khartoum North to Omdurman, said, “The danger on the other side of the Nile—meaning Khartoum North—is constant and ever-present, but here in Omdurman, we only feel at risk when the artillery shelling occurs.”

Workers Repairing the Power Grid in Omdurman: Life Amid War

The people of Omdurman are resisting fear, as they are compelled to remain despite the war and a declining job market. For many, the option of fleeing to safer states or leaving Sudan altogether is not feasible.

Instead of the main markets of Omdurman—such as Omdurman Market, the Popular Market, and Libya Market, which have either been destroyed, looted, or burned during the war—new markets and havens for residents have emerged along the main roads in the Thawrah suburb, especially along Al-Wadi, Al-Nas, and Al-Shanqiti streets.

Adil Khalaf Allah, spokesperson for the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party and a former member of the Economic Committee for the Forces of Freedom and Change, said the war has deliberately destroyed industrial and agricultural production bases, companies, workshops, and warehouses. In addition, looting and vandalism have affected private and public properties, markets, banks, and essential services like education, healthcare, electricity, and water.

Khalaf Allah told Sudan Tribune that a significant portion of Karari locality’s residents have found themselves without income sources, with the commercial sector—wholesale and retail—and its associated services, such as transport, storage, distribution, and roadside vending, dominating. Karari remains the capital’s only link to production areas in the Northern and Nile River states.

This has led to the growth of markets like Sabreen and commercial outlets along Al-Wadi Street, from central Omdurman to the far northern reaches of Karari, which has attracted traders and those from other professions who have lost their jobs or stopped receiving their salaries.

Khalaf Allah, who himself is now engaged in the trade of building materials, noted the significant rise in the number of gold trading shops. For example, along a two-kilometer stretch of Al-Wadi Street, approximately 30 shops and companies involved in gold trading can be counted.

These areas have seen the rise of many intermediaries searching for a living as they face the large disparity between income and the prices of goods and services. A significant portion of residents relies on remittances from relatives abroad.

Khalaf Allah also pointed to the flourishing of real estate and automobile trade, primarily practiced by individuals from the military and security sectors.

However, he emphasized that the markets, in general, are experiencing stagnation, with a noticeable increase in supply and a decline in demand, including in the food markets, due to the erosion of purchasing power caused by the depreciation of the Sudanese pound against the dollar and the decline in remittances from abroad as the war continues.

He warned that unless the war stops, economic and social deterioration would continue, with further impacts on people’s livelihoods, health, education, and businesses.

He also highlighted another challenge—the behavior of local authorities in imposing taxes and chasing after vendors, who have lost their markets and shops or taken on alternative jobs. Institutions such as the Taxation Office, Zakat Fund, Civil Defense, Ministry of Health, and Standards and Metrology Organization continue to impose fees that are out of sync with the reality facing traders and without providing corresponding services.

Conditions for Survival and Return

Despite the visible signs of war in Omdurman, the provision and improvement of water, electricity, and security services remain essential to encourage residents to stay and return.

Omdurman’s old neighborhoods are witnessing a slow return of residents. Some of them are from other areas, such as northern Khartoum North neighborhoods, who were forced to flee RSF violations to Omdurman.

A woman, identified only as “F.H.,” told Sudan Tribune that since the war started, she has been forced to flee several times—from Al-Halfaya in Khartoum North, then to Al-Jazira State, and then to Al-Faki Hashim north of Khartoum North, before finally crossing the Nile with her family to Omdurman, where they are now staying in a friend’s house in the Wad Al-Banna neighborhood in central Omdurman.

She complained about the abundance of mosquitoes and disease carriers, which have caused the spread of unknown fevers. She added, “We live with the sounds of gunfire and restricted movement in the neighborhood, which still comes to a halt shortly after sunset.”

According to Sudan Tribune reporters, repairs to electricity lines and water stations are still ongoing, but the extent of the destruction in historic areas like Wad Nobawi makes it extremely difficult for residents to return at this time.

Regarding security, the police began deploying mounted foot patrols in Karari locality, northern Omdurman, in September to curb armed robbery, which has resulted in several killings.

In the old neighborhoods of Omdurman under Omdurman locality, the police reported earlier the reopening of police stations that have started receiving reports and handling criminal cases in areas the army has reclaimed from the RSF.

According to the police press office, the Omdurman locality police have rehabilitated and repaired seven criminal departments—(Omdurman North, Market, Central, South, Abu Saad North, Al-Kabjab, and Al-Dawha)—which are now fully operational, with sufficient manpower and necessary equipment to provide security services, receive reports, and handle complaints. They are also tasked with securing neighborhoods and markets through the deployment of forces at strategic points and conducting campaigns to prevent crime.

Brigadier General Saleh Hassan Bakhit, Director of the Omdurman Locality Police, stated that the Public Prosecution has also resumed its duties, confirming that the police forces are prepared to secure Omdurman’s neighborhoods, markets, and key locations to facilitate the return of residents to their homes.

He mentioned that the rehabilitation of the police stations in (Al-Sina’at, Al-Muhandisin, and Abu Saad South) is also nearing completion, bringing the total number of operational police stations in the locality to ten.

However, the extensive destruction that historic neighborhoods in central Omdurman have suffered remains the biggest obstacle to the resumption of normal life in these areas, unlike the northern parts of Omdurman, which are gradually coming back to life.

Challenges for Resumption of Normalcy

While the war has caused severe damage to Omdurman, especially in the older parts of the city, there is still hope for recovery. The northern regions of Omdurman, particularly in Karari locality, offer a glimpse of resilience amid the devastation. As the army extends its control and the government works on restoring basic services, the gradual return of displaced residents is a positive sign.

However, significant challenges remain, particularly in securing essential services such as water, electricity, healthcare, and security. The ongoing shelling and clashes, especially in contested areas, continue to pose a serious threat to civilians. The economic collapse and widespread unemployment, exacerbated by the war, have also forced many residents to shift to makeshift markets and alternative sources of income, often in dangerous conditions.

Local authorities, police, and the army are working to restore order and security in reclaimed areas, but the scars of the war are deep, and the path to full recovery is long. Efforts to rehabilitate essential infrastructure, provide security, and rebuild the economy are crucial for the city to heal and for life to return to the old streets and markets of Omdurman.