Two‑year curfew lifted in Sudan’s capital

A coach is parked on the right-hand side of the picture. A group of people are standing close by gathering luggage. In the foreground, an open-backed tuktuk is parked.
People who had fled the war two years ago have started returning to Khartoum

Sudan’s military‑led government has lifted a curfew and the state of emergency that had been imposed on the capital Khartoum more than two years ago.

The decision comes 18 months after the army regained control of Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting in a war that is now in its fourth year.

Although fighting has ended in the city, clashes continue in the south and west, and there are growing signs the conflict is spilling over Sudan’s borders.

According to the International Organization for Migration, over two million of the roughly five million people who fled Khartoum in April 2023 have returned since the fighting ended in March 2025.

Removing the curfew is meant to restore normal life: the airport has reopened for some flights, and the government is urging businesses and embassies to come back.

Rebuilding is still difficult. Many residents face widespread damage, looting of buildings, and ongoing power blackouts blamed on alleged RSF drone attacks on electricity infrastructure and a lack of government funds for repairs.

“The targeting of the electricity sector in particular was very significant,” said Altayeb Saadeldin, a spokesperson for the Khartoum state government. He cited looting of copper wires, fuel and other components, as well as drone attacks, as reasons for the outages. An RSF source called the allegations “incorrect and army propaganda.”

Security patrols will continue across the state, and residents traveling at night must carry identification documents, according to the Sudan News Agency, which is wary of RSF infiltration.

The war has also drawn concern from neighboring Chad, after a suspected Sudanese air strike hit a military convoy on the border, prompting a call for regional stability and a humanitarian truce from the US.