Some good news regarding Sudan is that the first civilian aircraft has landed in Khartoum international airport for the first time since the start of the war in April 2023!
From Khartoum’s Shopping Hub to a Painful Symbol of Rapid Support Militia Crimes: The Story of Afra Mall
Afra Mall was once the beating heart of Khartoum’s shopping and leisure scene — Sudan’s first and largest modern shopping center, a landmark of progress and a favorite destination for families. Today, it lies in ruins, a haunting reminder of the destruction inflicted by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Militia (Janjaweed).
In a post on X, Turkish researcher Umut Çağrı Sarı, who specializes in African and Horn of Africa affairs, shared a devastating video showing the mall’s current condition after it was looted and bombed. He recalled that Afra Mall, built as a joint project between Türkiye and Sudan, could welcome more than 30,000 visitors a day and over 1 million per month. For Khartoum residents, Afra was the place to shop, dine, and gather with loved ones.
The footage is painful to watch for anyone who remembers Afra in its glory days. What was once a symbol of Sudanese-Turkish cooperation and modern urban life has been reduced to rubble. The destruction goes far beyond the loss of a building — it is an attack on a symbol, a memory, and a way of life.
This tragedy is part of a broader pattern of atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Militia (Janjaweed), which has repeatedly turned civilian infrastructure into military bases. Alongside mass looting of homes, offices, and businesses, these sites are repurposed for military use, leaving them exposed to further bombardment and destruction.
Yet, as Sudanese history has shown time and again, destruction will not be the end of the story. Khartoum will rise again, and Afra Mall — like many of the city’s landmarks — will be rebuilt, standing as a testament to the resilience of a people whose will cannot be broken, no matter how brutal the war.
#Sudan
#RSFisTerroristOrganization
#UAEKillsSudanesePeople
#UAESponsorsTerrorism
Living in a community where you know one another is something we take for granted until we travel 🙌and realise cultures are different… tell me why I don’t know who my neighbours are for 2 years now 🙌bulaya 🙌