JAKARTA – Sudan’s Central Bank Governor Amina Mirgani Hassan al-Tom announced the institution’s return to operations within Khartoum state, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts toward economic stabilization and reconstruction.

The announcement, made Tuesday, represents the first major return of critical financial infrastructure to Sudan’s capital since conflict disrupted normal operations nearly two years ago.

Symbolic Return to the Capital

Official Central Bank social media channels published images showing Governor al-Tom leading bank employees as they resumed operations from Khartoum facilities, a moment carrying both practical and symbolic significance for Sudan’s economic future.

Addressing returning staff members, the Governor characterized the Central Bank’s return to the capital as evidence that Sudan has entered a recovery and reconstruction phase following an extended period of operational disruption.

Al-Tom praised the institution’s critical role in maintaining state foundations throughout the conflict period, emphasizing how central banking operations continued despite extraordinary challenges posed by the ongoing violence.

Economic Recovery Indicators

The Governor framed the operational return as more than administrative convenience, describing it as “returning life to the arteries of the national economy” and tangible evidence of economic transition from survival mode to active recovery.

Her remarks positioned the resumption of banking operations in Khartoum as marking Sudan’s economic evolution from a phase of mere endurance toward genuine recuperation and rebuilding.

“Our battle continues for reconstruction,” al-Tom stated, pledging comprehensive efforts supporting development and rebuilding initiatives while acknowledging the Sudanese Armed Forces and supporting units whose operations made the return possible.

The restoration of central banking and broader financial system operations from the capital city carries substantial practical implications beyond symbolic value, potentially enabling more efficient monetary policy implementation and improved coordination across Sudan’s banking sector.

Conflict Context and Humanitarian Impact

Sudan’s ongoing conflict erupted April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary organization, triggering catastrophic humanitarian consequences that international organizations characterize as the world’s most severe current humanitarian crisis.

The violence has claimed thousands of lives while displacing millions of Sudanese citizens from their homes, creating massive internal displacement and refugee flows across international borders.

Recent United Nations data indicates 9.3 million people remain internally displaced throughout Sudan due to the conflict, while over 4.3 million have fled across international borders seeking safety in neighboring countries.

This displacement represents one of the largest forced migration events globally, straining both Sudan’s remaining functional infrastructure and the resources of neighboring states hosting refugees.

Economic Challenges Beyond Security

Sudan’s economy faces structural challenges extending beyond immediate security concerns, with analysis suggesting recovery depends more on internal economic restructuring than external financial support.

Economic experts emphasize that Sudan’s fragile structural foundation, absence of long-term economic vision, and armed faction control over portions of national resources create unprecedented economic predicaments requiring comprehensive solutions beyond temporary stabilization measures.

The conflict has delivered severe shocks to Sudan’s economy through widespread infrastructure destruction, particularly impacting industrial facilities and production capacity essential for economic activity and employment generation.

Pre-conflict economic vulnerabilities have compounded wartime damage, creating layered challenges requiring simultaneous attention to security restoration, infrastructure reconstruction, economic policy reform, and institutional capacity rebuilding.

Untapped Economic Potential

Despite deteriorating macroeconomic indicators amid intensifying conflict, Sudan possesses underutilized resources that could support economic recovery if properly developed.

The Red Sea coastline and associated maritime resources represent unexploited logistics infrastructure offering potential economic lifeline for the national economy, according to development analysts examining Sudan’s recovery prospects.

These coastal assets, including port facilities and maritime access, remain largely underdeveloped despite their strategic value for international trade and potential revenue generation independent of conflict-affected inland regions.

Effective exploitation of maritime economic opportunities—sometimes termed “blue economy” development—requires sustained security, international investment, and technical capacity currently limited by ongoing instability.

Regional Economic Interdependencies

Sudan’s economic challenges carry implications beyond national borders, particularly affecting South Sudan’s petroleum-dependent economy relying on Sudanese export infrastructure for market access.

South Sudan’s extreme petroleum dependence makes that country exceptionally vulnerable to economic fluctuations exacerbated by reliance on Sudanese pipeline and port facilities for oil exports—infrastructure compromised by Sudan’s ongoing conflict.

This interdependency illustrates how Sudan’s stabilization carries regional economic significance, with neighboring economies experiencing secondary effects from Sudanese instability disrupting trade routes and shared infrastructure systems.

Reconstruction Challenges Ahead

While the Central Bank’s return to Khartoum operations signals potential progress, substantial reconstruction challenges persist requiring sustained commitment, international support, and eventual conflict resolution.

Economic recovery necessitates not merely restoring pre-conflict functionality but addressing underlying structural weaknesses that contributed to economic vulnerability even before violence erupted.

Successful reconstruction demands coordinated approaches spanning security sector reform, governance capacity building, infrastructure investment, private sector development, and social service restoration—all while conflict continues affecting large portions of national territory.

The Central Bank’s operational return, though significant, represents one early step in what will require years of sustained effort to achieve meaningful economic stabilization and development progress for Sudan’s population.

Original Article:

Aljazeera Net. (2026, January 21). عودة بنك السودان المركزي للعمل بالخرطوم.  Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.net/ebusiness/2026/1/20/%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%83-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84