Sudanese Deminers Tackle Extensive Explosive Hazards in Khartoum

What happened

Africanews Sudan reports that Sudanese deminers are actively clearing explosives from Khartoum, focusing on areas like Al-Mugran Park, a former family recreational site now a complex minefield. The park was retaken by the Sudanese army five months prior and has been under clearance since August. Dozens of warning signs mark the hazardous zones as part of their ongoing work.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure or battlefield claim should be read as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) left the capital littered with unexploded rockets, shells, and more recently discovered anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines deliberately planted over a wide 4.5-square-kilometer area, complicating clearance efforts. Mines are designed to maim and restrict troop movement, and their presence has been an ongoing obstacle to securing Khartoum fully.

Team leader Jomaa Ibrahim told Africanews Sudan that roughly 80 percent of the designated minefield in Al-Mugran Park has been cleared with over 12,000 explosive items removed including 19 anti-personnel and seven anti-vehicle mines. The park’s strategic location at a western entrance to central Khartoum was heavily contested in the early stages of the war. The mines blocked troop movements and contributed to sniper risks on nearby high-rises.

Known from the source

• Sudanese deminers are clearing explosives from Khartoum, focusing notably on Al-Mugran Park.
• The park was recaptured by the Sudanese army five months prior to August when clearance began.
• Authorities discovered mines had been intentionally planted across a 4.5-square-kilometer area in Khartoum.
• Over 12,000 explosive ordnance items have been removed from Al-Mugran Park by clearance teams.
• 164 dangerous items have been found so far in the primary minefield including 19 anti-personnel and 7 anti-vehicle mines.

What remains unclear

However, clearance beyond these areas remains challenging. Central Khartoum’s city center is described as a devastated, post-apocalyptic landscape with numerous unexploded artillery shells and heavy structural damage. Authorities have confirmed thousands of explosive remnants cleared to date, but vast areas remain unsafe for returnees or aid agencies. The Danish Refugee Council and local organization JASMAR are leading some clearance operations.

What remains unclear: Verify casualty or injury figures related to mines or unexploded ordnance incidents. Confirm which actors laid the mines as there is no direct attribution in the source. Validate the current percentage of area cleared and project timeline for completion. Check for any official statements updating status on explosive clearance and aid access.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Africanews Sudan. Open the source.