Do Sudanese Army Victories Encourage Sudanese in Egypt to Return to Their Homeland?

Sudan Events – Agencies

The recent victories of the Sudanese Army in the capital, Khartoum, have raised questions about whether they might encourage larger numbers of Sudanese in Egypt to return to their homeland.

There have been voluntary return initiatives launched by members of the Sudanese community in Egypt, in light of the ongoing internal conflict in Sudan. Observers and officials involved in these initiatives expect that “the army’s progress in Khartoum will drive large numbers of Sudanese to return and contribute to reconstruction efforts at the same time.”

The internal conflict in Sudan, which has been ongoing since mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced millions of Sudanese within the country and abroad. According to official statistics, about 1.2 million Sudanese have entered Egypt.

Recently, the Sudanese Army has made significant progress in the war, which is approaching its second year, by expanding its control over Khartoum. The army has reclaimed key sites, including the Presidential Palace, the Central Bank headquarters, the National Security and Intelligence Service building, the National Museum, and the University of Sudan.

These victories add to other key areas reclaimed by the Sudanese Army from the RSF since the beginning of this year, including Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah State (south of Khartoum).

The number of Sudanese returning from Egypt has increased following the Sudanese Army’s recent field advances, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA). It noted that “the latest developments have increased the desire among Sudanese to return.”

SUNA reported on land return trips from Egypt and stated in a report published on March 10 that “unofficial statistics indicate that over the past four months, more than 300,000 Sudanese have returned from Egypt.”

Sudan and Egypt are connected by two land crossings, Arqin and Ashkit, which are vital for trade and the movement of people between the two countries.

The number of weekly return trips from Egypt has increased under the “Returning to the Good Land” initiative (a voluntary return initiative supported by the Sudanese embassy in Egypt), according to the initiative’s executive director, Alaa Al-Din Saleh. He mentioned that “200 buses transported about 10,000 Sudanese from Egypt to Sudan last month.”

The initiative’s trips, using passenger buses, depart from the Faisal neighborhood in Egypt’s Giza Governorate to Wadi Halfa (northern Sudan) three times a week, according to Saleh. He noted that “most of the returnees are from Khartoum, Omdurman, and Al-Jazirah State,” adding, “A large number of Sudanese families are making arrangements to return to their homes after Ramadan.”

The voluntary return initiatives aim to support families who cannot afford travel costs by providing free tickets, with backing from business figures and contributions from prominent members of the Sudanese community.

Sudanese preparations in Egypt have gone beyond organizing the return itself to include measures for reconstruction, according to Khalil Imam, one of the supervisors of the “Al-Insirafi” voluntary return initiative (run by activists and volunteers). Imam told Asharq Al-Awsat that “many Sudanese families are working to transport construction materials, building supplies, and furniture to Sudan using heavy transport buses.”

Sudanese families seeking to transport reconstruction materials benefit from customs facilities provided by the Sudanese government for returnees, according to Imam. He added that “the Al-Insirafi initiative operates daily return trips from several areas in Cairo, including Abdeen and Imbaba, to various cities in northern Sudan, such as Dongola and Atbara.”

Following the Sudanese Army’s successive victories, there has been noticeable social media activity, with users welcoming returnees to Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah State.

Meanwhile, Egyptian parliamentarian Mustafa Bakri posted on X that “tens of thousands of Sudanese have begun returning to their homeland after the army’s recent victories in Khartoum.”

Amid improved conditions encouraging the return of those displaced by the war, Sudanese conversations have shifted toward solving infrastructure and service issues, according to Maki Al-Maghrabi, Director of the International Relations Unit at the Sudanese Center for Thought and Strategic Studies. He said that “many families are now considering solutions to problems related to electricity and the availability of goods” as well as “the reopening of schools for their children.”

Al-Maghrabi believes that “the majority of Sudanese displaced by the war will soon return to the country, especially with the start of reconstruction efforts,” adding that “a small percentage of families will delay their return due to their children’s education in Cairo.”

Egypt and Sudan have agreed to form a “joint team to study a reconstruction plan and explore international models for implementation” during political consultations between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati and his Sudanese counterpart, Ali Youssef Al-Sharif, in Cairo at the end of February. Egypt has confirmed its “readiness to contribute to rebuilding Sudan’s state institutions,” according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.