Sudanese deminers scour shattered Khartoum for hidden explosives

Lead

KHARTOUM — Tens of thousands of people have returned to Sudan's capital since the army recaptured it from the Rapid Support Forces in March last year, but the city they are coming back to is a perilous place. Unexploded ordnance and landmines left behind by years of conflict pose a growing danger to residents, according to reports from Africa News and AFP.

In central Khartoum, a team of Sudanese deminers is painstakingly sweeping Al-Mogran Park, a once-popular green space now marked by red skull-and-crossbones signs warning civilians to stay away. The group, Jasmar, has been working at the site for the past eight months, according to Africa News, after two soldiers were injured there in July. The park straddles the single western entrance into central Khartoum, giving it strategic significance, AFP noted.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports—one from Africa News and one from AFP—detail the ongoing demining efforts, though they provide somewhat different figures on the explosives recovered. Africa News quoted Jasmar team leader Juma Abuanja as saying his team had found 164 shells, explosives, and grenades, along with 1,200 small arms ammunition, 22 anti-personnel mines, and nine anti-tank mines. AFP, which visited the site, reported that authorities had cleared tens of thousands of explosives across the capital, with the Danish Refugee Council and Jasmar removing more than 12,000 pieces of explosive ordnance from Al-Mogran Park alone. AFP also reported that the team had found 19 anti-personnel mines and seven anti-vehicle mines—figures that differ from those cited by Africa News, though both suggest a significant presence of mines designed to maim rather than kill.

The two reports also give slightly different timelines for the demining work. Africa News says Jasmar has been at Al-Mogran for the last eight months, while AFP says they have been there since August, which would be roughly nine months by the time of reporting. Both accounts agree that the effort began after two soldiers triggered an explosion in July, revealing that mines had been deliberately planted across a massive area of about 4.5 square kilometres (1.7 square miles), according to AFP.

Key Claims

• Explosives recovered: Africa News reports 164 shells, explosives, and grenades, plus 1,200 rounds of small arms ammunition; AFP reports more than 12,000 pieces of explosive ordnance removed from Al-Mogran Park by the Danish Refugee Council and Jasmar. The precise counts vary, but both confirm substantial contamination.

• Mine counts: Africa News lists 22 anti-personnel mines and nine anti-tank mines; AFP lists 19 anti-personnel and seven anti-vehicle mines. The discrepancy likely reflects ongoing clearing or differing reporting periods.

• Human toll: The UN says nearly 60 people were injured or killed in Khartoum state last year, over half of them children, according to Africa News. A personal account from Khaled Abdulgader, who lost two fingers trying to stop children from playing with a grenade, underscores the danger to civilians.

• Scale of contamination: Decades of conflict have left unexploded ordnance scattered across Sudan, with a contaminated area equivalent to about 7,700 football fields, Africa News reports. Khartoum has at least seven identified minefields, and the UN says deminers have cleared nearly 7.8 million square metres in the state over the past year.

• Progress and challenges: AFP reports that 80 percent of Al-Mogran Park has been cleared, but vast areas of Khartoum remain unsafe, with two other minefields also identified. The capital's dense urban layout and the return of residents unfamiliar with the threat complicate the effort.

Perspectives

Demining teams and humanitarian groups: They stress the difficulty and danger of the work. Hussein Idris, a 60-year-old deminer with nearly two decades of experience, told AFP, "It's hard work, but thankfully we're still alive, and the park can come back even better than before." The Danish Refugee Council, working alongside local group Jasmar, emphasizes the need for international support to clear the city.

Returning residents: Many are unaware of the risks. Khaled Abdulgader's story is a stark illustration: he tried to warn children away from a grenade, but they refused to listen, and the explosion cost him two fingers and left shrapnel in his chest. Families returning to their homes have found grenades and mortars in their living rooms, according to Africa News.

Authorities and aid agencies: The Sudanese government and aid groups say the problem is particularly acute in and around Khartoum, where many returning residents are unfamiliar with the threat. The UN's figures on casualties highlight the urgency, though the full scale of the problem may not be known for years.

As the deminers continue their slow, methodical work in Al-Mogran Park, the broader task remains daunting. Khartoum, once a bustling metropolis, has been reduced to what one report described as a "post-apocalyptic wasteland." But for those like Idris, there is a glimmer of hope: the park can be restored, and the city can begin to heal—one cleared square metre at a time.