Residents of Khartoum North are reporting a growing number of armed robberies and attacks by motorcycle-riding gangs, raising concerns over deteriorating security and forcing some families who recently returned to their homes to relocate again.
According to Radio Dabanga, residents say armed groups, some allegedly wearing military uniforms, have been targeting civilians in residential neighbourhoods, particularly following the lifting of restrictions on motorcycle use.
The insecurity has added to the challenges facing families attempting to rebuild their lives after years of displacement caused by Sudan’s ongoing war.
Abdel Rahim Ahmed, a resident who spoke to Radio Dabanga, described an attempted robbery in the Abad al-Rahman neighbourhood of northern Khartoum North in early October.
The incident occurred at approximately 9 p.m. near a local mosque, where residents initially believed a confrontation between several young men was an ordinary street dispute.
However, Ahmed said the confrontation was allegedly part of a coordinated robbery involving three suspects travelling on a motorcycle.
One of the attackers reportedly positioned himself in the darkness beside a nearby house and fired a warning shot to intimidate residents. A second attempted to forcibly rob a local man, while the third remained on the motorcycle to facilitate their escape.
Residents rushed to intervene, forcing the suspects to flee within two minutes without stealing anything.
Armed attacks fuel growing insecurity
Ahmed said the attempted robbery was one of several incidents reported in the area, including an attack on a young man sitting outside his home using his mobile phone.
According to the account, motorcycle-riding thieves attempted to snatch the device and allegedly fired shots towards the victim’s feet to frighten him.
The young man pursued the attackers into a dead-end street, where they reportedly fired additional shots into the air and ground before escaping.
Residents say repeated incidents have heightened fears about personal safety, particularly among families returning to neighbourhoods devastated by the conflict.
In one case, Ahmed described how a friend who had recently returned from Egypt with his family was forced to abandon his home in the Al-Radmiya area of Haj Yousif following repeated threats and armed robberies.
The family subsequently rented accommodation in Shambat, seeking a safer environment.
Ahmed said the family’s original property had already been extensively looted during the war, making their latest displacement particularly distressing.
Some residents have referred to the attackers as kadmol gangs, a local description associated with armed men who conceal their faces with scarves.
