Traders Return as Khartoum’s Afranji Market Slowly Comes Back to Life

The Afranji Market in central Khartoum is gradually regaining activity after years of war, as some traders and visitors return despite lingering destruction and a shortage of services.

The reopening remains tentative. Damage is still visible, and limited services continue to complicate the return to business, leaving the market far from a full recovery.

Yet the presence of traders and regular visitors is beginning to restore familiar features of a place woven into the capital’s memory. Their return marks a modest step toward reclaiming everyday life in the city centre.

For now, signs of renewed activity sit alongside the scars of conflict. The market’s gradual revival reflects both the pull of familiar places and the obstacles facing those trying to return.