An Eye on North Khartoum, Bahri
Quoted from Atar Magazine
Since last October, military operations have eased and a gradual calm has begun to prevail in the area north of the city of Bahri in Khartoum. The Sudanese army announced that the area was "now safe" for residents, and authorities have already begun opening hospitals and police stations. Simultaneously, a slow response to the voluntary return of citizens who had left their homes for more than 18 months, a costly and exhausting displacement, has begun. With the armys advance and opening up southward, and the Rapid Support Forces withdrawing completely from Bahri and most of the capital, the north of Bahri has appeared to be an area ripe for the phased return of residents to their homes, both in groups and individually. Life has revived in the streets and markets, especially after the end of the fighting and the sounds of gunfire in the East Nile area, and the opening of the Challenge Road, which connects Bahri to the north of the country, to which most of the citizens have fled.
On a trip between Shendi and Halfaya, an Atr correspondent observes intermittent traffic on Challenge Road, and the remnants of war and its devastating effects on both sides of the road. Hundreds of burned and looted cars, and a complete shutdown of fuel stations, including pumps, cafeterias, and shops. The aftermath of fighting at the entrance to the Jelei oil refinery and the burning of hundreds of fuel tankers at the entrance to the "Guava Bridge" in the Kadro area, is a stark reminder of the ongoing fuel war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. An informant told Atr that the tanker fires were set by aircraft and drones, as well as precise ambushes set up by the Kadro army at the bridge entrance.
Signs of war are intertwined with the activity of buying and selling in the Jelei market. There are few cars, vegetable and cart vendors, and children displaying guava fruit. Checkpoints abound in the bereaved villages of Jelei, Kabashi, Saqqai, Khojalab, and even Kadro and Halfaya. Scenes of abandoned homes appear, their doors open, and looted. Traffic has increased at the Halfaya Bridge intersection to and from Omdurman, with a heavy military presence and noticeable congestion in front of the Bank of Khartoum in Halfaya.
Some water services have resumed after the North Bahri and Al-Niya water stations were restored to 75% of their operating capacity in March. According to eyewitnesses, maintenance and power supply operations continued in the Darduq and Nabta areas, and electricity is expected to be restored soon. An ATR correspondent also monitored the arrival of trucks loaded with relief supplies, coinciding with the voluntary return of citizens.
The Bahri City Emergency Room stated that, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Peace Organization, it had succeeded in providing a shipment of non-food items (NFIs) targeting 1,000 displaced families in Al-Ahamda Al-Samrab North. The shipment consisted of 740 rations, according to an organized plan. The aid reached 140 families on the first day, with distribution efforts continuing until the mission is completed by the scheduled date.
Returning citizens who spoke to an "Atr" correspondent complained about the lack of environmental sanitation campaigns after two years of the closure of the area and homes and the widespread spread of mosquitoes and insects, resulting in a massive outbreak of fevers in a natural and healthy environment they described as deteriorating, with great pressure on the few hospitals that have resumed work with difficulty: "The electricity and water are unstable, and the environment is very, very bad." One of the returnees, named Fatima, added: "The cooperative institution is operating, in addition to small markets that do not fully meet their purpose. There are also schools that have begun operating in Al-Droushab and Al-Halfaya."
In turn, Abu Bakr Othman, a citizen, spoke about his familys return to their home in Kadro after an absence of approximately 18 months. "I found my house looted, except for a few pieces of furniture. But I insisted on not returning as a displaced person to Shendi again, and I worked hard to prepare the house with whatever was available, despite the fluctuating electricity and water supplies." He added in an interview with "Atr": "Some of the few shops have reopened, and my children are enrolled in a school near the house. However, we are suffering from malaria. I was infected first and found treatment with difficulty. Later, my wife and two of my children were infected." Abu Bakr hopes that the situation will improve: "Things are improving, but slowly. There is spraying, but it doesnt cover all neighborhoods, and most homes are still empty of their owners. Even those who have returned from displacement areas are still few compared to the number of empty homes." He added: "The security situation is unstable. The first days of our return witnessed thefts by individuals wearing army uniforms. However, after the police station was opened and the various security forces were more widely deployed, the rate of thefts and violations decreased." Citizen Jamal Saeed says he returned alone to test the waters and will bring his entire family back after the end of Ramadan. "I found my car charred and without tires, so I towed it to Omdurman for repairs." Speaking to Atr, he adds, "Conditions in Al-Droshab are still poor, especially in terms of health, as people are suffering from unknown fevers. There are volunteer teams working to distribute relief supplies and provide treatment to patients, and Ali Abdel Fattah Hospital and the Al-Droshab South Health Center are operating below capacity. The number of returnees is still small, but I expect many more to return after the end of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday."
On the 28th of Ramadan, according to eyewitnesses, 70 tourist buses arrived in North Bahri, returning from Port Sudan, Atbara, and Shendi.
Ikhlas Mohammed, a resident of Al-Droshab, said she found army personnel living in her home with all of her furniture. Upon her return two days later, she found nothing but the walls.
"Dozens of houses were completely or partially destroyed along the main street due to artillery and air strikes. We are working to count them," said Khaled Idris, from the committee for counting the dead and missing in the city of Halfaya. He then added in an interview with "Atr": "We have counted more than 2,000 deaths, who died during the war from various causes, and more than 60 missing persons, including prisoners."
Local civil society initiatives have been formed in the city of Halfaya to follow up on the return of displaced persons, holding an Eid celebration and a psychological support program for children. Khaled told "Atr" correspondent that dengue fever rates have declined, and that efforts have been made in cleaning and spraying pesticides, both by the public and by the government. He added that some hospitals and private schools have begun maintenance work in preparation for the expected return of citizens.
