Egypt provides free train rides for Sudanese refugees returning home
The Egyptian government is funding train rides to Khartoum, Sudan's capital, which recently was recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.
Sudan has been in the throes of civil war since April 2023. The battle for power between the military and the RSF has caused a humanitarian crisis. Over 40,000 people have been killed and the war has caused one of the world's largest displacement emergencies.
Egypt hosts the largest number of Sudanese refugees from the war with over 1.5 million people who fled north across the border. Over 7 million have been displaced internally as the war engulfed much of the country. The RSF took Khartoum at the start of the fighting in 2023 and held the capital until the government declared its recapture on May 20.
Khartoum was largely destroyed, including the presidential palace and the airport, but is experiencing a slow rebirth as residents return and markets reopen. Electricity and basic services are not fully operational around the city.
The journey from Cairo to Khartoum is about 2,080 kilometers (1,292 miles) and will include a train ride of about 12 hours to the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, where riders will change to ferries and buses to cross into Sudan.
People packed their lives in small suitcases as they as they filled the train Monday. Some cried with 'overwhelming emotions' including sadness and joy about leaving Egypt and returning home, said Sudanese journalist Asem al-Taieb, one of the train riders.
'I am happy because I am finally going back to my family and my children,' said Awatef al Hassan, originally from Omdurman, Sudan, who is returning with her daughter.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The reverse migration: African Americans relocating to Kenya cite heritage and restoration
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Raphael Obonyo, a public policy expert at U.N-Habitat, says the U.S is losing resources — as well as the popular narrative that America is the land of opportunities and dreams. 'This reverse migration is denting that narrative, so America is most likely to lose including things like brain drain,' he explained. For Mohammad, the sense of belonging has given her peace within. 'I love being here. Returning to Africa is one thing, but finding the place that you feel like you belong is another,' she said. _____________ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
