Authorities Continue Efforts to Strengthen Stability Khartoum: The Return of State Authority| Sudanow Magazine

Intensive Campaigns to Curb Crime and End Armed Manifestations

After Years of Suffering Under Militia Presence, Omdurman’s Ombada Locality Begins to Recover

Khalil: Security Improvements Are Tangible but Must Be Sustained

As the competent authorities in Khartoum State continue their intensive efforts to reinforce discipline across the capital and restore state authority, ongoing security campaigns are targeting criminal hotspots, unauthorized armed activities, lawbreakers, and fugitives. The Khartoum State Security Committee, chaired by Governor Ahmed Othman Hamza and involving the Sudanese Armed Forces, police, security agencies, and other relevant bodies, has maintained around-the-clock field operations aimed at restoring security and stability and creating conditions conducive to the return of normal life for citizens.

These efforts come at a time when Khartoum is witnessing a noticeable improvement in security indicators compared to the period following the outbreak of war. Security authorities have successfully carried out dozens of operations, seized weapons, vehicles, and stolen property, shut down fake military offices, and dismantled organized crime networks involved in smuggling and drug trafficking.

Ombada Security Meeting

The regular meeting of the Khartoum State Security Committee in Ombada Locality sent a clear message reflecting the authorities’ commitment to addressing security challenges in one of the state's largest and most complex localities. During the war years, Ombada was a major area of activity for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and its affiliates, creating a complicated security environment whose effects extended beyond the liberation of Khartoum and the restoration of state control.

The significance of the meeting was heightened by the fact that it was held within the locality itself, demonstrating a field-oriented approach based on directly assessing challenges and receiving security and service reports firsthand. It also reflected the committee’s recognition of Ombada’s sensitivity due to its high population density and the need for simultaneous security and service interventions.

Security Measures

The committee reviewed detailed reports on security, criminal, and service conditions in Ombada, including security threats and efforts to provide drinking water to residents. Based on these reports, a package of measures was adopted to enhance stability.

Key decisions included deploying a central security patrol involving all regular forces to conduct intensive patrols in vulnerable areas and crime hotspots. The locality will also receive additional forces from Wadi Sayidna Military Area, while a military police commander will be assigned to the locality and reinforced with extra personnel to respond rapidly to any security breaches.

Other measures include accelerating the removal of informal settlements, continuing security cordon operations, and rehabilitating the Dar Al Salam South Prosecutor’s Office to strengthen law enforcement, investigations, and judicial processes.

Positive Indicators

Across Khartoum State, criminal reports reviewed by the committee showed a decline in crime rates during May compared to April, a positive sign reflecting the impact of ongoing security efforts. The committee also approved the establishment of the state's western gateway and the reinforcement of border and checkpoint forces with personnel from various security agencies to strengthen monitoring and control.

These developments build upon a series of measures implemented over recent months. Security reports presented during recent meetings confirmed overall stability in the criminal situation. The committee also reviewed outcomes from the State Authority Enforcement Committee, which adopted important decisions aimed at eliminating armed displays within the capital and confiscating armed Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles operating outside legal frameworks.

During the past week, the security cell conducted 31 operations resulting in the arrest of 35 suspects, most of whom were accused of collaborating with rebel forces. State security authorities also carried out specialized campaigns that led to the arrest of smugglers operating along the state's western corridor and the dismantling of extortion networks targeting citizens.

The committee praised the success of the Eid al-Adha security plan and the stability it achieved. It also commended joint operations that led to the seizure of signal-jamming devices and large quantities of narcotics, including tramadol tablets, in Jebel Aulia Locality through coordinated efforts between the General Intelligence Service and the police.

Special recognition was given to Ombada’s local security committee for its efforts in addressing security challenges. The committee also discussed arrangements for monitoring FIFA Club World Cup matches, calling on organizers of public viewing events to obtain the necessary permits through the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism in coordination with local security committees.

A Safer Capital

Legal expert and journalist Ashraf Khalil believes that Khartoum has become safer than it was in previous periods, and even safer than during some phases before the war. He noted that current security efforts have clearly contributed to achieving a degree of relative stability.

However, Khalil emphasized that the real challenge lies in ensuring the sustainability of these improvements and transforming them into a permanent institutional reality. Speaking to Al Karama newspaper, he argued that current measures rely heavily on joint efforts by the regular forces, while criminal justice institutions—particularly police stations—still require greater support due to shortages in personnel and equipment.

Khalil warned that some areas of Khartoum remain vulnerable to criminal activity during evening hours because of low population density, electricity outages, weak institutional coordination with local communities, and the absence of supporting services such as emergency response systems.

At the same time, he praised progress made in regulating the presence of foreign nationals and called for the continuation of campaigns to remove informal settlements while providing the necessary legal and political support, alongside humanitarian and legal solutions for exceptional cases.

An Important Conclusion

Overall, the ongoing actions of the Khartoum State Security Committee reflect a clear commitment to restoring state authority and consolidating security and stability throughout the capital. These efforts are built upon intensive fieldwork and strong coordination among various security institutions.

While declining crime rates and improved security conditions are encouraging indicators, the primary challenge remains moving beyond emergency responses toward building a sustainable institutional security system capable of protecting these achievements and ensuring Khartoum’s return to its natural role as a capital that enjoys peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

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