Sudanese government returns to Khartoum after nearly three years

The Sudanese military government, which had been based in Port Sudan, returned to the capital, Khartoum, on Sunday January 11, 2026, after nearly three years away.

Prime Minister Kamil Idriss told reporters that the  “government of hope” had officially resumed operations in Khartoum and would begin efforts to restore basic services for the city’s war‑torn residents.

After intense clashes with the Rapid Support Forces forced the administration to flee Khartoum in 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces reclaimed the capital in March, creating the conditions for the government’s return.

Khartoum is now in the early stages of recovery from years of conflict. The United Nations estimates that nearly five million people fled the city at the height of the violence.

Residents who remained in Khartoum reported that RSF fighters had seized control of many neighborhoods and carried out widespread looting and other abuses against civilians.

Prime Minister Idriss said the government’s immediate priorities in Khartoum will include restoring electricity and water supplies and rebuilding health and education services.

Idriss also declared 2026 the “year of peace” for Sudan. Since the outbreak of civil war, at least 150,000 people have died, and some 12 million are estimated to have been displaced, a situation the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.