Sudan government to return to Khartoum in October, PM says

August 8, 2025 (CAIRO) – Sudan’s federal government will return to the capital Khartoum in October, when the city’s international airport will also reopen to air traffic, Prime Minister Kamel Idris said on Thursday.

The government and federal institutions have been operating from the eastern city of Port Sudan since war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023, forcing their evacuation from the capital.

Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Idris, who was appointed in May, stated that the country’s reconstruction was a priority and that Khartoum required extensive replanning. He described life as returning to parts of the capital area, saying the city of Omdurman was now “brighter than Paris” and that activity in Khartoum Bahri was at about 80% of normal levels.

Idris stated that the Khartoum oil refinery, located north of the capital, needs $1.2 billion for rehabilitation. He accused the RSF of destroying equipment and looting copper from electrical cables at the facility.

The RSF has controlled the refinery since the war began, and the strategic facility has suffered extensive damage during military operations, according to media reports.

Addressing his new government, Idris said there were significant pressures within state bodies and claimed a “fifth column” had infiltrated parts of the state. He also announced that the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Ahmed Al-Tijani, would not be continuing in his post.

The prime minister described his official visit to Egypt as “successful by all measures,” saying it resulted in agreements on easing visa procedures for Sudanese citizens, accommodations for students, and a plan to deport Sudanese nationals held in Egypt on immigration grounds.

He added that Egypt offered support for the electrical interconnection between the two nations, for which Sudan has a debt of $110 million.