The Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) has moved a key anti–money laundering and financial oversight body back to the capital, as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) resumes operations from its Khartoum headquarters following rehabilitation of its premises. The step is part of a wider push by CBoS to restore core functions in Khartoum after years of displacement caused by the war, and comes as other state financial institutions—including the Ministry of Finance and the Khartoum Stock Exchange—also restart activities in the capital.
Official launch and scope of the move
According to reports carried by Sudan’s state news agency SUNA and local outlets, CBoS Governor Amna Mirghani Hassan Al‑Tom formally inaugurated the resumption of work at the FIU’s headquarters on Al‑Jomhouriya Street in central Khartoum after the building was rehabilitated. During a site visit, the governor inspected operational areas, reviewed workflow arrangements, and directed that approved projects be implemented swiftly in coordination with relevant CBoS directorates.
The FIU’s return is framed by CBoS as part of its broader strategy to bring headquarters functions and “supporting arms” of the banking sector back to Khartoum State, reversing the relocation to Port Sudan and other sites that occurred during the conflict. The bank has in recent months also reactivated other entities, including the Credit Information and Rating Agency, whose operations were relaunched at the same Khartoum address under the governor’s supervision.
Role of Sudan’s Financial Intelligence Unit
Sudan’s FIU operates under the Central Bank and serves as the national hub for receiving, analyzing, and disseminating suspicious transaction reports (STRs) and other financial intelligence relevant to money laundering, terrorist financing, and related predicate offences. In practice, the unit interfaces with commercial banks, payment service providers, and other reporting entities, and coordinates with law enforcement, the judiciary, and international counterparts through established channels such as the Egmont Group network.
The FIU’s mandate typically includes:
- Receiving STRs and currency transaction reports from financial institutions and designated non‑financial businesses.
- Conducting financial analysis to identify patterns consistent with laundering, sanctions evasion, or illicit financing.
- Sharing actionable intelligence with investigative agencies and, where appropriate, foreign FIUs.
- Issuing guidance to the private sector on reporting obligations and red‑flag indicators.
By re‑establishing its Khartoum base, CBoS aims to strengthen on‑site oversight, improve coordination with other regulators located in the capital, and signal continuity in Sudan’s AML/CFT architecture as the country seeks to reintegrate into the global financial system.
Context: broader return of financial institutions to Khartoum
The FIU’s move fits into a wider pattern of state institutions returning to Khartoum in 2026. Prime Minister Kamil Idris has announced a gradual government return to the capital after nearly three years of operating from Port Sudan, and the Ministry of Finance has already restarted core departments from its main Khartoum building. The Central Bank itself has resumed selected operations in Khartoum State, even as parts of its network remain disrupted by ongoing fighting in other regions.
Other recent milestones include:
- The Khartoum Stock Exchange resuming trading from the capital in early September, with participation from finance ministry officials and market regulators.
- CBoS launching new digital oversight tools, including an electronic capital flows system intended to improve monitoring of cross‑border transactions.
- Tighter customer due diligence rules, with CBoS ordering banks to update client data and warning of account suspensions for non‑compliance by late September.
Together, these steps are designed to restore basic market infrastructure, reinforce compliance controls, and underpin confidence in Sudan’s financial sector as reconstruction efforts gain traction.english.
Statements and operational directives
In statements surrounding the FIU’s reopening, CBoS emphasized the symbolic and practical importance of returning to Khartoum. The governor praised staff for maintaining functions “under highly challenging circumstances” and instructed management to accelerate implementation of approved projects in coordination with central directorates. Agency leadership, including Director‑General Mona Ahmed Al‑Bashir, publicly thanked the governor for close follow‑up and for helping remove operational bottlenecks during the rehabilitation phase.
While detailed policy announcements specific to the FIU were limited in initial coverage, the timing aligns with CBoS’s recent compliance drive. The bank has stressed the need for up‑to‑date customer information, robust transaction monitoring, and adherence to AML standards as preconditions for expanding access to foreign exchange and international payment channels.
Implications for AML compliance and international engagement
For Sudan’s AML regime, the FIU’s physical return to Khartoum has several potential implications:
- Operational continuity: Co‑location with other CBoS units and nearby ministries may streamline information‑sharing and reduce delays in processing STRs and intelligence requests.english.
- Supervisory presence: A visible FIU headquarters in the capital can support more frequent on‑site engagements with banks and payment firms based in Khartoum, reinforcing expectations around reporting quality and timeliness.
- International signaling: As Sudan pursues deeper engagement with multilateral lenders and seeks to normalize relations with global financial networks, a functioning FIU in the capital is a key marker of institutional stability for counterparts assessing AML/CFT effectiveness.
At the same time, challenges remain. Parts of the country are still affected by conflict, displacement, and damaged infrastructure, which can constrain data collection, field investigations, and consistent reporting from some regions. CBoS has acknowledged these constraints in parallel measures, such as phased roll‑outs of digital systems and extended deadlines for customer data updates in harder‑hit areas.
What to watch next
Market participants and compliance officers are likely to monitor several follow‑up developments:
- Any new FIU guidance on reporting thresholds, STR formats, or sector‑specific red flags issued from the Khartoum base.
- Further CBoS circulars linking FIU outputs to enforcement actions, licensing decisions, or FX access conditions for banks.
- Progress on integrating the FIU with CBoS’s new electronic capital flows and payment switch systems, which could enhance real‑time monitoring capabilities.
For now, the return of the Financial Intelligence Unit to its Khartoum headquarters marks a concrete step in Sudan’s post‑war financial reconstruction, reinforcing the Central Bank’s message that core regulatory functions are being re‑anchored in the capital even as security and macroeconomic conditions remain fragile.