“It is not just a profession.” Khartoum libraries resume their activities despite the scars of war culture

In the heart of the commercial center in central Khartoum, some paper libraries have gradually begun to return to work after many months of cessation, despite the great losses they suffered as a result of the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which caused the destruction or damage of dozens of old libraries in the region.

Among the shelves that he carefully rearranged, Mustafa Muhammad Al-Nur stands inside his library, which he returned to after the Sudanese army regained control of the capital. The man, who has been working in the book trade since the early nineties of the last century, found himself, after years of absence, facing a different scene; Books scattered on the ground, others destroyed by fire, and traces of destruction that affected the place where he spent many years.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Mustafa described his relationship with books as “not just a profession, but a daily connection that extended for decades,” explaining that he used to collect books from different places, and his library was famous for the presence of rare and old titles that researchers and readers visit.

Back to resume work

Mustafa recalled the first days of the war, when clashes broke out simultaneously with his presence in the library during the storming of Khartoum, noting that he was unable to secure his books or close the store as usual, before he found himself besieged for hours in the middle of the commercial area.

After leaving the place, Mustafa was forced to move away from his library for about three years, before returning again after the security situation relatively improved. He said that the moment of return was difficult, especially when seeing the burned and damaged books, but he quickly reorganized what remained of it and arranged the library in preparation for the resumption of work.

He added that the reopening of the library gave him a feeling of relief, despite the size of the losses, pointing out that there was a relative improvement in the movement of book purchases, although the economic conditions and the high costs of living and fuel were still affecting commercial activity.

Mustafa hopes that the commercial area will witness further recovery in the coming period, with the return of shop owners and other bookstores to restore what was left behind by the war, and gradually restore life to one of the oldest bookstore centers in the Sudanese capital.