Voluntary return train for Sudanese refugees continues journeys from Cairo
The special air-conditioned train is set to leave Cairo's main station at 11:00 AM and arrive at the High Dam station in the southern city of Aswan at 11:40 PM, according to a statement from the railway authority. The return journey from Aswan to Cairo is scheduled for 8:30 PM the same day.
The free train journeys come as an increasing number of Sudanese who fled the conflict that broke out in their country in April 2023 consider returning home, following a period of relative calm in the capital, Khartoum.
In recent months, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have regained territory from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in and around Khartoum, making a return more feasible for some of the millions who sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Egypt.
The voluntary return programme is a joint effort between the Egyptian National Railways and Sudan's state-owned arms company, Defence Industries System, which is covering the full cost of the journey, including onward bus travel from Aswan to the Sudanese capital. The Sudanese army is reportedly keen for refugees to return to reinforce its control over recently recaptured areas and as a step towards normality.
The repatriation efforts coincide with a recent political development, where Sudan's government has welcomed international condemnation of the RSF and its civilian ally, the so-called 'Ta'sis' alliance, over their announcement of a 'parallel government' on July 26.
In a series of statements, Sudan's government affirmed that the move was illegitimate and a direct threat to national sovereignty. It praised the firm positions taken by the United Nations, the African Union, and the League of Arab States against the announcement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily News Egypt
an hour ago
- Daily News Egypt
Sudan's Unity at Risk, Warns Darfur Governor Amid Parallel Government Push
Darfur Regional Governor and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Arko Minnawi, has issued a stark warning about the growing risk of Sudan's fragmentation. Speaking to tribal leaders in Port Sudan on Friday, Minnawi cautioned that recent developments—particularly the formation of a parallel government by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—could push the country toward division if left unchecked. He revealed that a diplomat from a major global power contacted him early in the conflict to gauge his opinion on the prospect of dividing Sudan into three governments, suggesting that international actors may be entertaining a post-unity future for the country. Minnawi rejected such plans outright, stating, 'The Sudanese people will not allow the country to be divided according to the vision of the RSF.' The governor also accused senior Sudanese officials of turning their backs on Darfur after the national army regained control of key central regions, including Khartoum and Al-Jazirah. He warned against the dangerous belief that victory in central Sudan equates to control over the entire nation, stressing that Darfur is not a peripheral concern but a resource-rich region with deep ties to neighboring African states. Minnawi's comments come days after the RSF announced the formation of a rival government with its commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) as head of a new presidential council and Abdelaziz al-Hilu, leader of SPLM-North, as his deputy. The United Nations had previously warned that such a move could further destabilize Sudan and erode chances for national reconciliation. He urged all political and military forces rejecting the RSF's project to unite swiftly, warning that failure to do so may solidify the path toward a divided and weakened Sudan.
Al-Ahram Weekly
8 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Sudan accuses UAE of bringing in Colombian mercenaries to support RSF - War in Sudan
Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates on Monday of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight against the government-aligned army on behalf of its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Since April 2023, the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. It has also drawn widespread accusations of foreign involvement -- namely, Abu Dhabi's backing of the RSF. "The government of Sudan possesses all the documents and evidence proving the involvement of mercenaries from Colombia and some neighbouring countries, sponsored and funded by the UAE," the foreign ministry said Monday. The UAE has repeatedly denied allegations of arming the RSF, despite reports to the contrary from UN experts, diplomats, US politicians and international organisations. Mercenaries have been spotted on both sides, with reports of Colombian fighters first emerging in the western region of Darfur late last year and corroborated by United Nations experts. This week, the Joint Forces -- a coalition of armed groups in Darfur aligned with the army -- reported more than 80 Colombian mercenaries fighting on the RSF's side in the North Darfur state capital El-Fasher. The coalition said "several Colombian mercenaries involved in drone operations and artillery coordination were killed" in the most recent RSF attempt to seize the city, which it has besieged for over a year. El-Fasher is the last state capital in Darfur still under control of the army, which on Sunday released video footage it said was of "foreign mercenaries believed to be from Colombia". AFP was not immediately able to verify the videos. The ministry said on Monday that it had previously submitted evidence of the foreign fighters' involvement to the UN Security Council, adding their presence was making the conflict a "cross-border terrorist war waged by proxy". A report this year from UN experts monitoring an ongoing arms embargo on Darfur called the accusations of Colombian mercenaries fighting for the RSF credible. Sudan said in December that the Colombian foreign ministry had extended its regret "for the participation of some of its citizens in the war", according to Sudan's state news agency. Retired Colombian soldiers and ex-guerrillas -- hardened by more than half a century of conflict back home -- have turned up in recent years in conflicts in Ukraine, Haiti and Afghanistan. They have previously been recruited by the UAE to fight Huthi rebels in Yemen and to guard oil pipelines in the wealthy Gulf state, according to AFP reporting. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Sudan paramilitaries kill 14 civilians fleeing besieged city: monitor - War in Sudan
Sudanese paramilitary fighters have killed at least 14 civilians trying to flee a besieged city in Darfur, a rights group said Monday, more than 27 months into their war against the army. The Emergency Lawyers, which documents atrocities in the war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army, said that "dozens more were injured and an unknown number of civilians detained" in the paramilitary attack on Saturday on the outskirts of El-Fasher city, in the western Darfur region. The RSF has in recent days launched its latest attack on El-Fasher, the North Darfur state capital which it has besieged since May 2024 but has been unable to seize from the hands of the army. Just two days before Saturday's attack, the RSF's political administration urged residents to evacuate to Qarni village, where the Emergency Lawyers says the civilians were killed. "I call on you to leave El-Fasher and head to Qarni, the northwest gate of the city, where our forces and the Tasis alliance forces are located and will ensure your safety," the RSF-appointed Darfur governor Al-Hadi Idris said in a video address on Thursday. Tasis is an RSF-led political alliance which late last month named leaders of a government based in South Darfur state capital Nyala. The UN has repeatedly warned of the plight of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in El-Fasher with virtually no aid or services. Families have survived on animal feed, a shortage of which was announced last week. Since April 2023, the war between the army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands, torn the country apart, and created what the UN has called the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. If the RSF captures El-Fasher, it will control all of Sudan's vast western region of Darfur and, along with its allies, much of the country's south. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
