KHARTOUM – The de facto government in Port Sudan, led by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), announced on Sunday that almost all combat forces have been withdrawn from Khartoum in what it described as a step to restore stability and pave the way for residents to return.
Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Jaber, a member of the de facto Sovereign Council and head of the Khartoum Reconstruction Committee, told reporters that “98% of the fighting forces” have now left the capital. The announcement came during a press conference on 7 September at the Khartoum State Government Secretariat.
The move stems from an earlier directive issued by SAF commander, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who formed a committee under Jaber to “prepare the environment for the return of citizens.” On 17 July, al-Burhan had ordered all armed formations and militias to vacate Khartoum within two weeks.
Jaber said various military units had been redeployed outside the state, while police and security forces have been stationed at 13 main entrances to Khartoum. “The protection of Khartoum is the responsibility of those forces,” he declared.
He further alleged that irregular housing areas in the capital had become strongholds for the rebellion, claiming they were “used in financing the war.” Jaber also admitted that the city center had been subjected to “systematic destruction of services,” noting that the cost of rebuilding ministries in downtown Khartoum would be “very large.” To mitigate the damage, he said, the state has started making use of government-owned properties such as the Minerals Towers.
Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Hassan Dawood Kiyan stated 3,226 fighters had been withdrawn to remote areas far from the capital. “The army was among the first forces to evacuate its known sites inside the state,” he said. He also reported that the joint force of armed struggle movements was instructed to leave Khartoum in the presence of de facto Sovereign Council member Salah Rasas.
Kiyan revealed that Sudan currently host some 38,000 foreign nationals and refugees. About 2,000 of them, he said, have already been repatriated through coordination with their embassies and state agencies. He warned citizens against dealing with foreigners without legal residency papers and called on diplomatic mission to regulate the status of their nationals.
Despite these announcements, many residents in Khartoum’s seven localities continue to voice alarm over insecurity. Civilians accuse army-linked units, allied militias, and “unruly” armed groups of widespread theft and looting, exploiting weak policing and the ongoing security vacuum.
The SAF-led administration says its new measures are intended to bring stability and encourage more displaced people to return. Thousands of families have already gone back to Khartoum in recent weeks as part of the voluntary return program.
