Truth Perspective | Ibrahim Shaglawi Sunt Forest and the New Khartoum
Since 1973, the world has observed World Environment Day on June 5, an occasion led by the United Nations Environment Programme to highlight the most pressing environmental issues. This year’s climate action theme is: “The planet does not argue or negotiate… it sends signals,” referring to the challenges that climate change poses to nations and societies.
In Sudan, this occasion takes on particular significance in the post-war phase, given the importance of shaping national priorities within the context of reconstruction and state recovery. Despite the announced yet absent presence of a Ministry of Environment within the government of Dr. Kamil Idris, this sector continues to suffer from a clear absence in executive action and a decline in its presence within developmental political discourse.
This absence, despite the necessity of its presence, reveals a deficiency in recognizing the importance of the environment within the development equation of the Government of Hope, particularly amid discussions regarding the possibility of merging it with the water resources sector, following the existing merger of agriculture and irrigation. This reflects a continued hesitation in defining the place of the environment as an important strategic sector within the state’s vision for advancement.
In this context, Sunt Forest emerges as one of Sudan’s oldest natural reserves. It was incorporated into the protected areas system in 1939 and extends over approximately 1,500 hectares on the eastern bank of the White Nile near the confluence of the two Niles.
It also serves as a natural habitat for numerous migratory and resident bird species and constitutes an essential component of the environmental balance of the capital, in addition to its symbolic association with the Acacia tree and its many benefits.
During the years of war, Sunt Forest was subjected to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces militia, in addition to land clearing, fires, and encroachments on trees linked to economic hardship and the absence of alternative fuel sources, alongside the overlap between daily necessity and the absence of administrative authority to protect the environment. This reality transformed the forest from a natural reserve into a chaotic space, reflecting the decline in the state’s capacity to manage its natural resources during the war, thus placing its future today before the imperative of comprehensive rehabilitation within the framework of reconstruction.
However, discussions about reviving Sunt Forest should not be understood as a call to reproduce the old reality with all its problems. The truth is that for many years the forest suffered from neglect, weak management, and a lack of services, causing parts of it to become a haven for crime and security disorder. Therefore, the real challenge lies in integrating the site within the vision of the New Khartoum.
The idea is based on transforming the environment into a driver of development. Sunt possesses the qualifications to become a modern urban project that combines a natural reserve, public park, eco-tourism destination, and sustainable investment opportunities, making its rehabilitation an integral part of the reconstruction of Khartoum. Global experiences have demonstrated that cities emerging from wars do not merely rebuild physical infrastructure but also redesign their spaces according to standards of sustainability, green economy, and quality of life.
From this perspective, Sunt Forest represents an opportunity for an integrated project linking environmental protection, investment, tourism, and recreation, drawing on its strategic location along the White Nile. This qualifies it to become a tourism attraction featuring natural parks and service and educational facilities, balancing environmental conservation, preservation of its ecological status, and maximization of developmental returns.
In light of the global transition toward a green economy, natural resources are no longer merely environmental elements that require protection; they have become developmental assets capable of attracting investment and building partnerships that support development. From this standpoint, rehabilitating Sunt Forest represents an opportunity to transform a neglected resource into productive economic and social value. Thus, the New Khartoum moves beyond the concept of physical reconstruction toward building a reality that is more reconciled with the environment and more effective in utilizing resources, within a future vision that helps redefine the relationship between the state, people, place, and nature.
On World Environment Day, according to #Truth_Perspective, the most important message remains that the future of Khartoum cannot be built with concrete alone, but with trees as well, and that investing in the environment is a prerequisite for successful development. This meaning becomes even more urgent given the absence of environmental issues from the government’s priorities despite their formal announcement, reflecting the need to transform them into a genuine developmental concern. Sunt Forest, which has long been part of Khartoum’s memory, can become one of the symbols of its future if properly integrated into a national vision that makes the environment a pillar of peace, reconstruction, and sustainable development. This is the New Khartoum we aspire to.
Wishing you continued health and well-being.
Sunday, 7 June 2026
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