Return to Khartoum: War, loss and hope
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 12 May 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Since 2023, Sudan has been engulfed by a brutal civil war. More than 150,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced. The war began as a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the powerful paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The capital Khartoum was the epicentre of the conflict. Millions fled as fighting wrecked the city. In 2025, the Sudanese military finally retook the capital from the RSF. One year on, Mohanad Hashim returns home to Khartoum to see how life is slowly returning to the battered city.
This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:07.3 | On BBC Sounds, there are podcasts to help you look after your body and your mind. |
| 0:12.7 | From increasing your immunity to feeling more confident. |
| 0:16.6 | Or tips on how to focus. |
| 0:18.5 | Sorry, what will you say? |
| 0:19.7 | If it matters to you, it matters to us. |
| 0:22.6 | Feel good inside of it. |
| 0:24.3 | With WhatsApp Docs. |
| 0:25.9 | And Complex with Kimberly Wilson. |
| 0:27.9 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:31.9 | Welcome to the documentary podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:35.9 | I'm Mohanad Hashim on assignment in Sudan. |
| 0:39.8 | For many Sudanese, this is the route home to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and a fabled city |
| 0:46.0 | battered by war. We've been driving across the desert for a thousand kilometers. We've come |
| 0:52.1 | through a sandstorm and now we're following the river Nile. |
| 0:56.1 | Off to my left stand some of Sudan's own ancient pyramids. |
| 1:00.2 | Ahead lies Khartoum. The city was once home to an estimated 8 million people, |
| 1:06.1 | but in 2023 it became the epicenter of a brutal war, which engulfed much of the country. |
| 1:11.6 | Millions fled the city as it was wrecked by fighting. |
| 1:15.6 | Now, one year after it was recaptured by government forces, I'm on my way home to Khartoum. |
| 1:25.6 | We're about to cross the White Nile Bridge into Khartoum. |
| 1:31.7 | To our right here is the White Nile. |
... |
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