Unexploded shells threaten returnees in Khartoum as families try to rebuild their lives after two years of war. Residents returning to their homes and schools in Sudan’s capital are now facing a new and deadly risk–leftover ammunition and missiles scattered across the city.
“I’m terrified. I don’t know what to do,” said 62-year-old Abdelaziz Ali, standing outside the Amarat primary school where he once worked. He had returned hoping for peace, but instead found an anti-armor shell buried under some cloth. “This is a children’s school,” he warned. His statement paints a grim picture of what many returnees are discovering.
Despite the army reclaiming much of Khartoum and central Sudan, threats from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) persist. Their weapons, once fired, still linger. Residents now walk a city riddled with dangerous debris, missiles in crushed cars, shells in classrooms, and drones in basements.
Missiles in Classrooms, Drones in Basements
A caretaker in the Amarat area confirmed that while some weapons were removed, others remained dangerously lodged. “We’re afraid one explosion could bring the whole place down,” he said, pointing to anti-tank missiles near a kindergarten.
Sudanese and United Nations clearance teams are actively working, but they lack the manpower and funding. U.S. aid cuts have worsened the situation, leaving massive gaps in safety measures. The director of Sudan’s National Mine Action Centre, Major General Khaled Hamdan, revealed that over 5,000 new devices have been found in areas recently reclaimed from the RSF.
The numbers are frightening. Over 12,000 explosive devices have already been destroyed during the war, yet thousands remain. With more than 100,000 people returning to Khartoum, the risks are growing by the day. The shell under Ali’s cloth is not the only one-it’s just one of many.
Explosives Replace Peace in Reclaimed Khartoum
Unexploded shells threaten returnees in Khartoum even as officials celebrate military victories. The RSF may have lost ground, but their weapons are still winning the battle. Ammunition now threatens the very people the army claims to have liberated.
What’s worse, some of these shells detonate without warning. One resident said, “It exploded without warning.” These are the words that haunt survivors.
As Khartoum’s displaced begin returning, it is clear the war has not ended for them. Their homes have become minefields. The government says it is committed to protecting citizens, but action speaks louder than press statements. A city full of missiles and shells is not a city at peace.
The real war may now be between forgotten explosives and innocent civilians.
