Sudan’s Security Council orders crackdown on armed presence in cities amid recurring incidents
May 19, Khartoum — Sudan’s Security and Defence Council directed security and military agencies on Tuesday to regulate the movement of armed individuals and combat vehicles inside cities and markets, and to establish controls over the activities of security cells operating at the local level.
The Sovereignty Council said in a statement that the Security and Defence Council, chaired by Sovereignty Council Chairman and Commander-in-Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issued the directives following a full-membership meeting held in Khartoum, at which members were also briefed on the overall security situation across the country.
Defence Minister Hassan Daoud Kabron told reporters that the council commended the armed forces and their allied formations for gains achieved in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur. He said the meeting focused on the importance of adherence to the law, respect for national sovereignty and human rights, and the need to ensure the provision of basic services — particularly electricity and water — for citizens returning to their areas.
Khartoum and other cities have seen a visible proliferation of combat vehicles in markets and residential neighbourhoods, with armed individuals — most of them belonging to factions allied with the army — mixing with civilians. The phenomenon has repeatedly led to friction with civilians and the police forces responsible for maintaining internal security.
On 2 May, Khartoum State Police reported that a member of the regular forces returning from military operations opened fire on a patrol that had stopped him, killing himself and wounding two others at the Sabreen market in Omdurman.
Kabron said the council also directed that proper controls be established for security cells in localities, and called for the identification of individuals who had collaborated with what he described as the “rebel militia,” with investigations to focus on such collaborators.
Security cells composed of army, police, and General Intelligence Service personnel have been established in most states under the armed forces’ control, and granted powers of arrest and search. The cells have, however, faced repeated allegations of committing abuses — particularly against individuals accused of having cooperated with the RSF.
Authorities have been working to impose order in Khartoum since the army retook the capital in May 2025, though sporadic shooting incidents have persisted due to the widespread presence of arms and armed groups across parts of the state.