War-damaged mosque offered shelter during fighting in the Sudanese capital

The Gharib Allah Sufi mosque in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, was on the frontline of the country’s civil war for almost two years.

It has been open for over a century and despite the danger, has never stopped servicing the neighbourhood, except for two weeks in 2025.

Heavy fighting in the area forced its brief closure for safety reasons, but it soon reopened to offer assistance to the many people in need.

“This mosque was the shelter, the hospital, it was the safe place that people came to. That is why we made sure the mosque did not close at all, except at the height of the war,” said youth leader, Wael Shafiq .

Despite bullet-ridden walls and cracked windows the mosque stands proud.

It is one of many buildings and homes damaged across Khartoum, which was retaken by the army in March last year, returning life to normal.

“We didn’t rehabilitate the mosque to its former beauty. Our neighbours and mosque-goers have damaged homes, so we have to be sensitive to what others are facing,” said Shafiq.

As the fighting continues elsewhere in the country, those praying there remember the safe haven it was when the city was under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.

"Inside the mosque, people were able to check on each other. Who is here? Who eats? It is of service to the people, it's not just a mosque where people would pray and be finished,” said community member Mahmud Mirghani Salman**.**

“People were missing each other, especially during these hard times. So there were charity kitchens, there were so many things bringing people together,” he added.

As the war enters its fourth year, Sudan is essentially split between a military-backed government in Khartoum and the RSF-controlled administration in Darfur.

The military has established control over the north, east and central regions, including Sudan’s Red Sea ports and its oil refineries and pipelines.

The RSF and its allies control Darfur and areas in the Kordofan region along the border with South Sudan.

The violence has killed at least 59,000 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, known as ACLED.

The US-based war tracking group and aid groups believe the toll to be much higher, given difficulties in reporting.