Prime Minister Kamel Idris Announces Resumption of Government Work from Khartoum
January 11, 2026
KHARTOUM- Sudan’s Prime Minister, Dr Kamel Idris, announced the resumption of government operations from the capital, Khartoum, effective today, following the return of government institutions to resume their official duties.
The announcement was made during a public gathering at Al Kadro Square in Bahri, shortly after the prime minister arrived in Khartoum accompanied by several ministers. He was received by Khartoum State Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza, along with other officials and residents.
The prime minister stated that the year 2026 would focus on peace and development, noting that the government plans to work on improving health and education services, developing electricity, water, and sanitation services, enhancing security and livelihoods, and supporting the return of universities, including the University of Khartoum.
He explained that the national peace initiative is a Sudanese initiative that has received regional and international support, adding that the government will continue efforts related to this file in the coming period.
Dr Idris also said that the new state budget was prepared without imposing additional burdens on citizens and aims to reduce inflation by up to 70 percent and achieve an economic growth rate of 9 percent.
For his part, Khartoum State Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza said the return of the central government to the capital carries political and economic significance, calling for support to complete infrastructure and service projects in the state.
Sudan Cabinet Passes Emergency 2026 Budget, Keeps Details Secret
December 30, 2025
RED SEA- The Cabinet unanimously approved the government’s emergency budget for fiscal 2026 during its January 1 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kamil Idris. The measure, presented by Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, was hailed by the prime minister as a “historic miracle” for its emphasis on reining in spending, managing resources prudently and boosting revenues under extraordinary circumstances.
According to the prime minister, the budget projects GDP growth of 9 per cent and aims to reduce inflation in 2026 to 65 per cent from 101 per cent in 2025. Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, speaking on the Ministry of Finance and National Economy’s website, described what he called the budget’s “good tidings”: higher salaries and pensions, the creation of public-service jobs and no new tax burdens.
The finance ministry did not publish the full budget, releasing only broad outlines that officials reiterated in press statements, making a thorough analysis impossible without detailed figures. Officials’ remarks remained largely general: the prime minister called the plan a “miracle” because it purports to raise growth and improve resource management, while Gibril added that it would do so without additional tax burdens, while curbing inflation and increasing wages and pensions.
The finance minister also said that, besides being an emergency budget, its stated objective is to channel resources to the needs of the “Battle of Dignity.”
Sudan has not recorded GDP growth of that magnitude in the past 20 years. The highest growth rate reached 6.5 per cent in 2006, then plunged sharply to minus 12 per cent in 2012 after the secession of South Sudan. Between 2019 and 2022, the peak was 0 per cent in 2022, falling to minus 20 per cent in 2023, the “year of war.”
The continued withholding of budget details from the public extends the practice followed for the 2024 and 2025 budgets, limiting access to information on spending and revenue items at a time when calls are growing for greater fiscal transparency and for tying public policy more closely to citizens’ living and economic conditions.
Darfur Cut Off from Electricity, Residents Turn to Costly Solar Fixes
DARFUR– Darfur lives in near-total isolation from the national power grid, a condition severely worsened since the April 15, 2023, war after transmission lines were destroyed, electrical transformers stolen and plants disabled, causing complete or widespread outages in major cities including Nyala, Al-Fashir, Al-Jenaynah and Zalingei.
In Nyala, the blackout has persisted since the conflict began, pushing some households able to pay toward costly solar systems, while most endure darkness as basic services collapse. Residents report daily hardships and rising costs for necessities.
Technical sources told Atar that Darfur’s states now rely on uncoordinated individual solar fixes after thermal plants failed to operate due to fuel shortages, halted trains and scarce spare parts.
Lack of electricity has crippled health care, now dependent on generators, and reduced industrial output, threatening thousands of jobs. Many families have also abandoned small income-generating projects.
Experts say the widespread destruction of the grid renders stopgap fixes inadequate and calls for comprehensive reconstruction of the energy sector, while Darfur remains hostage to darkness and the service and humanitarian fallout of war.
Livestock Ministry Targets Return to Regional Export Markets
December 30, 2025
RED SEA- The deputy minister for animal and fisheries resources, Dr Ammar al-Sheikh, said the ministry has launched a plan to resume Sudanese meat exports to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria after a period of suspension and restrictions.
Officials said work is under way to meet importing countries’ health standards swiftly. In a press statement, al-Sheikh said the ministry is reorganizing the animal export dossier to pave the way for a gradual return to foreign markets, adding that efforts extend beyond the four countries to opening new markets once required understandings and conditions with target states are finalized.
He denied reports that processed, packaged meat from the Alkadroo abattoir had reached Algeria, saying that the export line has been suspended for years.
The central government in Port Sudan is attempting to revive the livestock sector after widespread infrastructure damage, with most major markets in western Sudan affected. A special Atar report last year noted major shifts in local markets. Nevertheless, the war’s first year saw a notable rise in livestock production in Al Jazirah, Kassala, Sennar and River Nile states. Atar did not obtain documented information on livestock management in Darfur and Kordofan.
Electricity Price Hike Scrapped After Public Backlash
January 2, 2026
RED SEA- Energy and Oil Minister Al-Mutasim Ibrahim ordered the cancellation of a decision to raise electricity tariffs just hours after the power utility’s Media Coordination Council announced higher rates for all sectors, effective January 1.
The reversal followed widespread public criticism of the increase, which came amid prolonged daily power outages lasting hours and entire areas experiencing complete electricity cuts.
The electricity company had said the hike was intended to avert the collapse of the power system and secure revenues needed to cover operating and maintenance costs, citing economic pressures and soaring input prices. It stressed that maintaining service continuity requires urgent financial measures.
Gold Output Rises Despite Mining Activity Shrinking to Six States
January 4, 2026
RED SEA- A chart released by the Sudanese Mineral Resources Co. shows a marked increase in gold production between 2020 and 2025, despite a sharp contraction in mining activity following the outbreak of war.
The data indicate that output stood at about 25.2 metric tonnes in 2020, climbed to 38.9 tonnes in 2021 and 41.8 tonnes in 2022, before falling to 23.16 tonnes in 2023 as conflict and its security and economic fallout took hold.
Production rebounded strongly in 2024, reaching 64.37 tonnes, and continued to rise in 2025 to 70.15 tonnes, the highest level recorded over the past six years.
The figures show that before 2023, mining activity was spread across 14 states, but after the war it contracted to just six, highlighting a striking paradox between the earlier geographic breadth of operations and the current surge in output despite a far narrower footprint.
Mubarak Ardol, former director general of the Sudanese Mineral Resources Co., questioned the accuracy of the figures presented in the widely circulated chart covering gold production from 2020 to 2025.
Drones Strike Atbara, Al-Obeid, Dalanj, Merowe and White Nile
Suicide drones operated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the city of Atbara on Wednesday, January 7, targeting Atbara Airport. A day earlier, on Tuesday, January 6, an RSF strategic drone struck a house west of Al-Obeid, killing 10 civilians from the same family and injuring nine others.
On Monday, January 5, RSF drones targeted the headquarters of the 19th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Merowe Air Base and the Merowe Dam. The 19th Infantry Division said it repelled the attack. On the same day, five RSF suicide drones attacked the city of Dalanj, with the armed forces saying they intercepted the assault.
RSF drones also struck the Al-Obeid thermal power station on Sunday, January 4, causing damage to the facility. That same day, RSF drones targeted Kenana Air Base in White Nile State, with the armed forces announcing they had thwarted the attack.
Kordofan Displacement Nears 65,000 as Transport Costs Soar
KORDOFAN- Displacement from Kadugli toward safer areas rose sharply in December, according to an Atar correspondent. Those fleeing face acute difficulties securing transportation, driving ticket prices steeply higher.
A single seat on a cargo or lorry truck ranged from 120,000 to 150,000 Sudanese pounds when paid in cash, and from 170,000 to 200,000 pounds via the Bankak app. Tuk-tuk fares ranged from 200,000 to 270,000 pounds in cash and about 300,000 pounds when paid through the Bankak app.
The International Organization for Migration said the number of people displaced from the three Kordofan states reached 64,890 between October 25 and December 30. Of those, 42,780 were displaced from North Kordofan, 21,860 from South Kordofan, and 250 from West Kordofan.
19,000 Sudanese Refugees Flee to Chad After Fall of Al-Fashir
CHAD- The U.N. refugee agency recorded the arrival of 19,000 new refugees from Sudan into Chad following the fall of Al-Fashir in late October.
The majority of the new arrivals are women and children who reached Chad suffering psychological trauma and physical exhaustion, the agency said.
During December, the daily average of new arrivals stood at about 250 refugees. Of the total, 56 per cent entered Chad through the Oure Cassoni camp, 36 per cent via Tine and 8 per cent through Adre.
Measles Outbreak Spreads in South Darfur
SOUTH DARFUR- The Sudan Doctors Network said measles cases in West and South Darfur have reached 3,000 over the past three months, warning of what it described as a “serious deterioration.”
South Darfur’s health ministry, operating under Rapid Support Forces authority, reported 445 infections recorded during the final two weeks of December. The ministry said it documented 2,209 measles cases and 19 deaths in 2025.
On Thursday, January 8, the ministry launched a measles vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak
