Sudan’s transitional government has formally returned to Khartoum, marking a symbolic and strategic milestone as a conflict that has devastated the country since April 2023 enters a new phase.
Prime Minister Kamil Idris led the return on January 11, months after the Sudanese Armed Forces declared full control of the capital in May 2025 following prolonged urban fighting. The move restores the seat of government to Khartoum for the first time since state institutions were forced to relocate by the war.
Idris, sworn in on May 31, 2025, has formed a 22-member “Government of Hope” and unveiled ambitious economic and administrative plans. However, international agencies warn that Sudan’s humanitarian crisis remains the worst globally, with more than 13 million displaced and famine confirmed in parts of Darfur and Kordofan.
While Khartoum is largely secured, fighting has shifted to other regions, leaving Sudan’s future dependent on whether political recovery can keep pace with an unresolved and costly war.
