Sudan PM vows to rebuild Khartoum on first visit to war-torn capital
Touring the city's destroyed airport, bridges and water stations, the new premier outlined mass repair projects in anticipation of the return of at least some of the millions who have fled the violence.
"Khartoum will return as a proud national capital," Idris said, according to Sudan's state news agency.
The war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in the heart of the capital in April 2023, quickly tearing the city apart.
Tens of thousands are estimated to have been killed in the once-bustling capital which 3.5 million people have fled, according to the United Nations.
According to Khartoum state's media office, Idris on Saturday visited the army headquarters and the city's airport, two national symbols whose recapture along with the presidential palace earlier this year cemented the army's victory in the capital.
But reconstruction is expected to be a herculean feat, with the government putting the cost at $700 billion nationwide, around half of which in Khartoum alone.
The army-aligned government, which moved to Port Sudan on the Red Sea early in the war and still operates from there, has begun to plan the return of ministries to Khartoum even as fighting rages on in other parts of the country.
Authorities have begun operations in the capital to properly bury corpses, clear thousands of unexploded ordnances and resume bureaucratic services.
On a visit to Sudan's largest oil refinery, the Al-Jaili plant just north of Khartoum, Idris promised that "national institutions will come back even better than they were before".
The refinery -- now a blackened husk -- was recaptured in January, but the facility which once processed 100,000 barrels a day will take years and at least $1.3 billion to rebuild, officials told AFP.
Idris is a career diplomat and former UN official who was appointed in May by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's de facto leader, to form an administration dubbed a "government of hope".
The war has created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises, with nearly 25 million people suffering dire food insecurity and over 10 million internally displaced across the country.
A further four million people have fled across borders.
In Sudan's southern Kordofan and western Darfur regions, the fighting shows no signs of abating, with the paramilitaries accused of killing hundreds in recent days in attempts to capture territory.
bur-bha/ami
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Congo and rebels have committed to ending war in the east. Here's what to know
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels have signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in eastern Congo, where ethnic tensions and quest for rich minerals have resulted in one of Africa's longest conflicts with thousands killed this year. The African Union called Saturday's signing, facilitated by Qatar, a 'major milestone' in peace efforts. Qatari authorities said it paves the way for 'a comprehensive peace that addresses the deep-rooted causes of the conflict.' But the ink has barely dried on the document signed in Qatar before both sides appeared to contradict each other in interpreting a major highlight of the declaration. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the declaration takes into account 'the non-negotiable withdrawal' of the rebels from seized territories, including the biggest city of Goma. The M23 rebels denied this, with a spokesman telling The Associated Press: 'We are in Goma with the population and we are not going to get out.' The declaration is supposed to lead to a final peace deal The declaration of principles was the first direct commitment by both sides since the rebels, supported by neighboring Rwanda, seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance early this year. In it, both parties committed to 'building trust' through various measures, including an exchange of prisoners and detainees as well as restoring state authority in all parts of the country, including rebel-held areas. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been mentioned as a key party in facilitating such release, said after the signing that it 'stands ready to help.' The signing sets in motion negotiations for a final peace deal, to be signed no later than Aug. 18. It also reflects provisions of a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed between Congo and Rwanda on June 27. Both the U.S.-facilitated and Qatar-led peace talks are aligned, and the Congolese and Rwandan presidents are soon expected in Washington to finalize negotiations for ending the conflict. The conflict dates back to the Rwandan genocide The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when Hutu soldiers and militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million minority Tutsis as well as moderate Hutus and the Indigenous Twa. When Tutsi-led rebels stopped the genocide and ousted the Hutu government, nearly 2 million Hutus fled into neighboring Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities accused the authorities in Kinshasa of sheltering those responsible for the mass killings among the civilian refugees, most of whom had returned when Rwanda first invaded Congo in 1996. But Kigali said the remaining Hutu fighters in eastern Congo are still a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population, and wants them neutralized. At least 6 million people have been killed in the conflict since then, mostly characterized by on-and-off fighting but also famines and unchecked disease outbreaks. Minerals hold key to the conflict Analysts have said a lot of interests in the conflict in Congo are tied to the mostly untapped minerals in the east, estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Trump administration has pushed to gain access to the minerals key to much of the world's technology. It is also to counter China, a key player in the region where the U.S. presence and influence have eroded. That is already playing out with KoBold Metals, a U.S. mining company that on Friday announced it has signed an agreement with Congo for 'large-scale minerals exploration program' in the east. Rwanda's interests are also tied to the conflict minerals, although it often says its involvement is to protect its territory and punish those connected to the 1994 genocide. A team of U.N. experts said in a report in December that Rwanda was benefitting from minerals 'fraudulently' exported from areas under the control of the M23. Rwanda has denied it. Although the M23 has touted itself as a group independent of Rwanda and capable of governing territories under its control, it still relies heavily on Kigali. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan troops in eastern Congo. Justice remains a major issue The U.N. and rights groups have accused both sides of committing atrocities and possible war crimes since fighting escalated in January. It includes children being killed in summary executions, the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of children, attacks on hospitals, forced recruitments and disappearance of residents in rebel-held areas. 'We cannot build peace without justice and reparation,' Goma resident Amani Muisa said.
Washington Post
2 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Congo and rebels have committed to ending war in the east. Here's what to know
DAKAR, Senegal — Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels have signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in eastern Congo, where ethnic tensions and quest for rich minerals have resulted in one of Africa's longest conflicts with thousands killed this year . The African Union called Saturday's signing, facilitated by Qatar , a 'major milestone' in peace efforts. Qatari authorities said it paves the way for 'a comprehensive peace that addresses the deep-rooted causes of the conflict.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kenyan police arrest rights activist Mwangi over role in deadly protests
NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenyan police have arrested prominent human rights activist Boniface Mwangi and plan to arraign him on Monday on suspicion of facilitating "terrorist acts" linked to deadly anti-government protests last month, police said on Sunday. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on X that detectives had arrested Mwangi at his home in Machakos County on Saturday and had seized "two unused tear gas canisters and one 7.62mm blank round", along with two mobile phones, a laptop and notebooks. In addition to the terrorism charges, Mwangi is also due to be arraigned for unlawful possession of ammunition, the X post said. A representative for Mwangi could not immediately be reached for comment. Hundreds of Kenyans took to the streets last month following the death in police custody of political blogger Albert Ojwang - reigniting a protest movement fuelled by anger over the cost of living and what activists say is police brutality and corruption. The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said 19 people were killed in the protests on June 25 that DCI referred to in its post about Mwangi. Another 31 people died when protests flared again on July 7, the commission said. The protesters are mostly young adults desperate for job opportunities who organise through social media channels. Mwangi is a well-known activist who once ran for parliament on an anti-corruption platform. In May, he was arrested and deported from neighbouring Tanzania, where he had travelled to observe a hearing in a treason case against detained opposition leader Tundu Lissu. He said afterwards that members of the Tanzanian security forces had sexually assaulted him during his detention, and on Friday he filed a complaint at the East African Court of Justice in connection with those allegations.
