KHARTOUM – The de facto government in Port Sudan, led by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), announced on Sunday that almost all combat forces have been withdrawn from Khartoum in what it described as a step to restore stability and pave the way for residents to return.

Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Jaber, a member of the de facto Sovereign Council and head of the Khartoum Reconstruction Committee, told reporters that “98% of the fighting forces” have now left the capital. The announcement came during a press conference on 7 September at the Khartoum State Government Secretariat.

The move stems from an earlier directive issued by SAF commander, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who formed a committee under Jaber to “prepare the environment for the return of citizens.” On 17 July, al-Burhan had ordered all armed formations and militias to vacate Khartoum within two weeks.