Sudan’s Khartoum state lifts trade ban on key road to North Kordofan

August 13, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The government of Sudan’s Khartoum state on Thursday lifted a ban on commercial freight along the key Exports Road, reopening the route to truck traffic travelling to and from North Kordofan state.

The decision eases restrictions imposed in December 2025 by Khartoum’s governor, who blocked trade along the state’s western boundary to choke off food and medical supply lines to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The lifting of the ban follows the Sudanese army and allied groups taking control of the towns of Umm Qirfa, Jabrat al-Sheikh, and Jureijikh on July 25, securing the entire Omdurman–Bara corridor extending to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.

Khartoum state authorities said in a statement that the state security committee decided to repeal the emergency decree that had prohibited goods and commercial traffic along the route connecting the capital area to El Obeid and Bara.

Authorities also scrapped a requirement that forced traders to obtain special clearance permits to transport goods from neighbouring states.

The reopening is expected to restore the flow of basic commodities to civilians living along the border region between Khartoum and North Kordofan, who have faced severe shortages and record-high prices driven by reliance on smuggled goods.