Long paralyzed by nearly two years of war, the central market of Khartoum is coming alive again. The gradual return of residents and a relative improvement in security allow a timid revival of activity, while traders remain faced with high prices and heavy logistical constraints.
Colorful tarpaulins and makeshift awnings once again cover the stalls of the central market. Under the dust and heat, merchants unpack their products, monitoring the passage of customers and the arrival of deliveries.
"It's not the market it used to be, but it's much better than when the FSR controlled the city", says Adam Haddad, a longtime merchant. Like him, many continued to work, sometimes discreetly, during the fighting that hit Khartoum from April 2023. Looting, theft and armed militiamen had transformed the market into a dangerous zone.
When the army retook the capital in spring 2025, more than a million people returned to the city. Since then, activity has slowly resumed, while the administration, withdrawn to Port Sudan, is gradually returning to Khartoum.
But life remains difficult. Food prices are exploding, the currency is collapsing, and electricity is irregular. "Supplies, labor, transportation... everything is increasing", explains Hashim Mohamed, fruit and vegetable merchant. Some residents, like a teacher, work odd jobs to feed their families and pay for school and care.
For traders, the obstacles are numerous: limited resources, lack of staff and scarce liquidity. "If the energy returns, Khartoum will be able to return to normal activity", hopes Adam Haddad.
Like the capital, Khartoum's central market oscillates between signs of hope and persistent fragilities, in a country still marked by the consequences of the conflict.
