Life is slowly, cautiously returning to Sudanese capital

In war-ravaged Khartoum donkey carts clatter over worn asphalt, the smell of tomatoes wafts from newly reopened stalls and pedestrians dodge burnt-out cars left by two years of war.

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Life is slowly, cautiously returning to the Sudanese capital, weeks after the army recaptured the city from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who had held it since soon after fighting erupted in April 2023.

Stallholder Maqbool Essa Mohamed was laying out his wares in the large market in the southern neighbourhood of Kalakla.

"People feel safe again," he told AFP. "Business is moving and there's security."

Just weeks ago this market was deserted -- shops shuttered, streets silent and snipers perched on rooftops.