Khartoum Issues New Mechanism to Return Looted Assets

Authorities in Khartoum launch mechanism to restore seized assets, as conflict-driven looting deepens economic hardship and poverty surges nationwide.

Sudan’s authorities have announced a new mechanism to return looted property to its rightful owners, in an effort to mitigate the economic and social fallout of a war that has seen widespread theft of civilian assets.

Khartoum state’s Security Affairs Committee said it has begun practical steps to hand over confiscated looted property that was seized during recent security operations and held by police departments. The process will be carried out through the public prosecution service, which the committee said is the legally mandated body to oversee such restitutions.

In a statement, the committee said the move aims to “restore rights to their owners and ease the effects of the war”, during which large-scale looting targeted homes, businesses and personal property across the capital.

The announcement was made during the committee’s regular meeting, chaired by Khartoum governor Ahmed Osman Hamza and attended by representatives of the public prosecution. The meeting discussed measures to reinforce security and stability in the state and outlined what officials described as firm steps to counter security threats and entrench a preventive security approach.

The committee also reviewed a range of public safety and security files linked to approved and ongoing security plans in Khartoum state, with the stated aim of restoring public confidence and protecting citizens’ property.

Looting has been a defining feature of Sudan’s conflict, which took place since April 2023 when the Rapid Support Forces mutinied in a bid to overthrow the government of Sudan.

Entire neighbourhoods in Khartoum and major cities have been stripped of household goods, vehicles and commercial stock attributed to mainly the RSF, contributing to the collapse of livelihoods and private enterprise.

Separately, Gezira state has begun distributing the first tranche of a direct cash support programme targeting poor families, implemented by the Social Safety and Security Commission under the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development, with funding from the finance ministry. The initial phase covers 1,979 families out of 3,500 included in the programme, with each beneficiary receiving 50,000 Sudanese pounds per month.

The restitution and cash support measures come against a backdrop of sharply rising poverty. Sudan’s minister of human resources and social welfare, Moatasem Adam, has said poverty levels have surged to unprecedented levels, jumping from 21 per cent before the war to 71 per cent, according to official reports.

Adam said about 23 million Sudanese are now living below the poverty line, as the conflict has battered incomes, disrupted basic services and plunged the economy into a deep crisis.

For international observers, the announcement highlights the challenge facing Sudan’s authorities as they attempt to reassert basic governance functions amid ongoing fighting. While returning looted property may offer limited relief to affected households, but that may mean that meaningful economic recovery will remain elusive without a sustained improvement in security and a broader settlement to end the war.