KHARTOUM, May 17 (Xinhua) -- On the banks of the Nile in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, fisherman Abdullah Ali sat in his small wooden boat, fingers tracing the worn threads of an old fishing net as the setting sun shimmered across the calm waters.
"The Nile taught us patience. No matter how life stops, people always return to it in the end," he said quietly.
Ali, in his mid-40s, inherited fishing from his father, learning from childhood how to read the river's currents and find fish. For his family, the Nile has never been just a source of income, but "part of the home, the family, and memory."
But war shatters people's memories just as it upends their lives. The conflict that erupted in 2023 between Sudan's government army and a paramilitary force soon spread to Ali's city. Boats disappeared from river docks, markets shut down, and thousands fled amid shelling and collapsing services. For months, Ali could not reach the river.
"There were days when we couldn't even get close to the Nile," Ali said. "We heard clashes from every direction, and people were focused only on surviving and securing food and water."
During that time, he took on odd jobs to support his family, but life away from the river felt empty.
"I felt like I was living someone else's life," he said.
As Khartoum stabilized, Ali rejoined returning fishermen to repair his old boat and get back on the water.
"When I returned to the Nile for the first time, I felt as though I could breathe again," he said. "The war took many things from us, but being here makes us feel that life is still possible."
Fishing remains central to his survival. With rising food prices, especially red meat, more families now depend on fish.
"People no longer ask much about the type or size," Ali said. "What matters is finding something to feed their children."
In Khartoum, red meat is now unaffordable for many, with beef at roughly 30,000 Sudanese pounds (around 8.6 U.S. dollars) per kilo and lamb at 40,000. As incomes shrink and costs soar, fish has become a cheaper alternative for struggling households.
At Omdurman's Al-Mawrada fish market, one of the largest fish trading centers in Khartoum, wooden stalls are once again filling with fish.
"This market used to be one of the busiest places in Omdurman," said fish trader Abbas Mohamed Idris. "People arrived before sunrise, and fishermen unloaded their catch directly here. But the war stopped almost everything."
For nearly three years, unsafe roads and insecurity made reaching the market difficult.
"When I reopened my shop, it felt like I was starting life all over again," Idris said. "For us, this place is not just a market -- it's the livelihood of dozens of families that endured very hard years."
He reviewed fish prices, noting that tilapia sells for around 8,000 Sudanese pounds, bayad for about 15,000, and Nile perch for roughly 20,000, prices significantly lower than red meat.
Despite unreliable electricity, damaged roads, and high fuel costs, Idris said the return of buyers has restored a sense of hope.
Nearby, shopper Mohamed Ali Nour carried a small bag of fish home for his family.
"The fact that Al-Mawrada market is alive again after years of war makes people feel the city is slowly healing," he said. "During the war, Omdurman and Khartoum felt as if life had completely stopped."
"This place carries memories for many people," he added quietly. "That's why its return means more to us than just commerce."
Since May 2025, the government force has regained control of Khartoum, allowing residents to gradually return to parts of the city.
Sudanese economic expert Mamoun Al-Tayeb said the return of fishing activity reflects how people adapt in times of crisis.
"When traditional markets reopen and boats return to the Nile, it shows people are regaining confidence in daily life," he said.
Before leaving the Nile at the end of the day, Ali sat on his boat, quietly lost in thought, gazing at the water as if it were a long-lost loved one.
For him, the fishing trip was not just work. It was a return to a life the war had interrupted, and a quiet attempt to reclaim what had been lost. Enditem
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