Nyala Evolves with Displacement, Development

As Sudan’s second largest city and Darfur’s largest metropolitan area, Nyala serves as an example of the challenges towns in this region are facing due to the ongoing conflict and the resulting strain on an already overburdened infrastructure.

By Mohamad Almahady

Darfur’s decade-long conflict has led to massive population displacements and the formation of numerous camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The cycle of conflict and displacement not only creates a strain on existing resources and infrastructure, forcing many people to live without basic amenities, but also affects longstanding community ties as displaced populations inevitably have an impact on an area’s local cultures and customs. IDP camps, usually located in proximity to large towns, are transforming Darfur’s social landscape and leading to the creation of newer and larger metropolitan zones.

A strong example of the effects of such changes is Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. An administrative hub since the early 20th century, Nyala emerged from the dark days of colonialism as a gateway for trade relations due to its airport and a railway line connecting the city directly to Sudan’s federal capital, Khartoum. The division of Darfur into states in 1994 accorded Nyala the status of a capital city for the southern part of the region, elevating its importance even further. Following many years of quiet economic growth, Darfur’s conflict and resulting population displacements altered Nyala’s cultural and economic dimensions rapidly. With IDP camps cropping up on its periphery, and the presence of UNAMID, UN agencies and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Nyala has metamorphosed from a trading hub into a bustling, cosmopolitan city sprawling across the landscape.

According to the fifth Sudan Population and Housing Census conducted in 2008, more than 600,000 people live in Nyala, which is now the second largest city in Sudan, after Khartoum. With an influx of IDPs from across Darfur, different cultures and customs have meshed to create an evolving, dynamic socioeconomic environment that Dr. Mubarak Elshareef, a history professor at the University of Nyala, calls “one of Sudan’s most prosperous cities.”

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On 20 February 2014, Nyala’s modern landscape reflects the rapid development and urbanization that has become the defining characteristic of the city. Nyala is now the second largest city in Sudan, after Khartoum, the federal capital. Different cultures and customs have meshed to create an evolving, dynamic socioeconomic environment. Photo by Hamid Abdulsalam, UNAMID.