Khartoum: Heavy fighting raged on in Sudan Friday with warring generals trading blame, despite their agreement to extend a truce aimed at stemming nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction.
Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum in fresh fighting and the United Nations reported bitter urban battles in the war-ravaged Darfur region where scores were reported dead.
Turkiye’s defense ministry reported that one of its military transport aircraft had come under fire, underscoring the risks as foreign governments scramble to wrap up evacuations of their citizens.
Violence broke out on April 15 between Sudan’s army led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, with warplanes pounding RSF positions in densely packed districts of Khartoum and fighters exchanging heavy machine gun fire.
The rival generals agreed Thursday to extend a repeatedly broken cease-fire for three more days after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the UN aimed at securing a more lasting truce.
But witnesses told AFP they heard air strikes and anti-aircraft guns being fired near the army command in Khartoum, where many residents have been shuttered at home with dangerously low levels of food.
Daglo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying: “Burhan is not trustworthy and is a traitor. This war destroys Sudan.”
In an interview with US-based channel Al-Hurra, Burhan claimed “mercenaries” were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic and Niger to exploit the chaos.
At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, which are believed to be incomplete.
The Sudanese doctors’ union warned Friday that the collapse of the health care system was “imminent,” with more than 12,000 patients at risk of dying as they could not access regular kidney dialysis.
The UN humanitarian agency said just 16 percent of health facilities in Khartoum were still operating normally, leaving millions without access to health care.
Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting.
The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were “launching rockets at houses” in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina, some 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) west of Khartoum. It also reported firing from “rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons.”
“There is no food except what people have stored at home,” one resident said, asking not to be named.
Fighting has spread “nearly all over the city,” the Bar Association said, urging Burhan and Daglo to “immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians.”
UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said 96 people were reported to have been killed in El Geneina since Monday.
The UN is “concerned at the serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur,” Shamdasani said, warning that the hostilities between the military and RSF “have triggered intercommunal violence.”
Darfur is still reeling from the devastating war that raged in the 2000s, when then hard-line president Omar Al-Bashir crushed ethnic-minority rebels by creating the Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities, a force that later formed the basis of Daglo’s RSF.
The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.
Amid the chaos, several prisoners escaped jail, including war crimes suspects from Bashir’s regime.
The UN voiced alarm at the prison breaks, pointing to “the prospect of further violence, amid a generalized climate of impunity.”
The US, whose diplomats have been mediating by telephone between the warring generals, acknowledged violations of the truce.
“But implementing cease-fires is often difficult at the start. Violations of the cease-fire do not mean a failure of the cease-fire,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
Britain announced it would end evacuation flights from Sudan on Saturday, after airlifting more than 1,500 people out this week.
The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people — one-third of the population — already need aid to stave off famine.
Over 75,000 have fled their homes, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, while tens of thousands have crossed into neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
South Sudan’s foreign ministry warned Friday that the conflict’s “spillover effects are already visible.”
Burhan and Daglo — commonly known as Hemeti — seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan’s transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019.
But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.
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Heavy battles in Sudan despite latest truce
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Heavy battles in Sudan despite latest truce
- Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum in fresh fighting and the United Nations reported bitter urban battles in the war-ravaged Darfur region where scores were reported dead.
The Iran war has upended flights across the Middle East. Here’s what travelers should know
NEW YORK: The US and Israel’s joint war in Iran has already upended travel across the Middle East, stranding tens of thousands of people. And the future is anything but certain.
Experts stress that flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions — causing ripple effects globally, especially as the war widens with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. Beyond the Middle East, airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia.
Amid airspace closures across the region, many carriers have been forced to either cancel flights or shift to longer routes. That’s straining operating costs and ticket prices, both of which could become more expensive if airlines have to pay more for fuel the longer the war drags on. In the near future, experts recommend postponing unnecessary travel if possible, checking refund or insurance policies and, most importantly, monitoring safety adviseries.
“This is not a normal delay story. This is a conflict zone airspace story,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation — stressing that halted traffic and guidance from carriers, airports and governments may shift each day, if not by the hour. “Travelers should absolutely expect uncertainty.”
Here’s what travelers should know about upcoming trips.
Monitor adviseries and other safety information
Since the US and Israel launched attacks over the weekend, retaliatory strikes and other developments have unfolded rapidly. Iran says hundreds of people have been killed in the country. For travelers across the region, experts stress the importance of following safety guidance and updates from government officials.
A handful of governments have also issued travel adviseries and emergency evacuation orders. The US State Department on Monday urged all US citizens to immediately leave Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen using any available commercial transportation — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pleaded for the media to publicize ways to help Americans evacuate. Meanwhile, countries like China, Italy, France and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens.
Experts like Shahidi say travelers should monitor these travel adviseries from governments and embassies to make sure they have the latest information. And because so many people are still stranded amid swaths of cancelations and airspace closures, he added that it’s wise to reconsider or rebook upcoming trips, if possible.
“If travel is optional, consider postponing it,” Shahidi said. “But if it’s necessary, then make sure that you get refundable or changeable fares.”
Travelers should also monitor updates from airports and airlines. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with Doha-based Qatar Airways all temporarily suspended certain routes — citing airspace closures and safety requirements.
Read the fine print of refunds and insurance
Many airlines are taking refund requests or offering free rebooking — but such options are often limited to specific dates or routes, so it’s important for travelers to check carriers’ individual websites for more information. For future trips, buying refundable tickets now may provide more flexibility.
Beyond what individual airlines can offer, some may also be seeking travel insurance. But it’s important to read the fine print, particularly the exclusions listed under specific policies.
“Acts of war and civil unrest are typically excluded because they’re unpredictable,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of travel insurance agency InsureMyTrip. Consumers could still buy coverage for delays, she added, but travel insurance is “designed to make you whole,” and if an airline does everything to rebook you or offers a refund, you may not have an added claim.
Christina Tunnah, of World Nomads Travel Insurance, reiterates that the majority of her firm’s policies excludes coverage for losses resulting from acts of war, although someone might be able to get compensation in certain scenarios — such as if they purchase a “cancel for any reason” plan. Still, the traveler would have to cancel within a certain time frame.
Tunnah adds that once an event is known, it’s unlikely to be covered. So if a consumer has not already purchased traveler insurance, many insurers may have added restrictions to impacted destinations.
Brace for longer flights and higher ticket prices
Beyond cancelations, many carriers are now taking longer routes to avoid closed airspace. Shahidi noted that includes not only closures stemming from this current war but also previous conflicts worldwide.
Navigating these different conflict zones has become increasingly difficult for airlines, because longer routes can be more expensive. It’s industry standard for carriers to pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace — which there could be more of now. And, of course, longer flights need more fuel.
“Those costs will be passed on to the passengers,” explained Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. If the conflict continues, he said, travelers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.
Passengers have already reported seeing sky-high ticket prices. Experts say those immediate hikes more likely reflect supply and demand as thousands of flights were canceled in recent days. But the costs of those longer routes — paired with oil prices that have already spiked since the US and Israel launched their attacks — could trickle down to consumers further ahead.
The price of crude oil is a key component for jet fuel, which accounted for about 30 percent of airlines’ operating costs as of 2024, according to research from the International Air Transport Association.
Many routes within the next week are completely sold out or have exorbitant prices for last remaining seats. The market currently shows those costs, while still elevated, are lower for trips booked further out, Terry notes — but, again, if the war drags on or worsens, “those conditions could change at a moment’s notice.”
Experts stress that flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions — causing ripple effects globally, especially as the war widens with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. Beyond the Middle East, airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia.
Amid airspace closures across the region, many carriers have been forced to either cancel flights or shift to longer routes. That’s straining operating costs and ticket prices, both of which could become more expensive if airlines have to pay more for fuel the longer the war drags on. In the near future, experts recommend postponing unnecessary travel if possible, checking refund or insurance policies and, most importantly, monitoring safety adviseries.
“This is not a normal delay story. This is a conflict zone airspace story,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation — stressing that halted traffic and guidance from carriers, airports and governments may shift each day, if not by the hour. “Travelers should absolutely expect uncertainty.”
Here’s what travelers should know about upcoming trips.
Monitor adviseries and other safety information
Since the US and Israel launched attacks over the weekend, retaliatory strikes and other developments have unfolded rapidly. Iran says hundreds of people have been killed in the country. For travelers across the region, experts stress the importance of following safety guidance and updates from government officials.
A handful of governments have also issued travel adviseries and emergency evacuation orders. The US State Department on Monday urged all US citizens to immediately leave Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen using any available commercial transportation — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pleaded for the media to publicize ways to help Americans evacuate. Meanwhile, countries like China, Italy, France and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens.
Experts like Shahidi say travelers should monitor these travel adviseries from governments and embassies to make sure they have the latest information. And because so many people are still stranded amid swaths of cancelations and airspace closures, he added that it’s wise to reconsider or rebook upcoming trips, if possible.
“If travel is optional, consider postponing it,” Shahidi said. “But if it’s necessary, then make sure that you get refundable or changeable fares.”
Travelers should also monitor updates from airports and airlines. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with Doha-based Qatar Airways all temporarily suspended certain routes — citing airspace closures and safety requirements.
Read the fine print of refunds and insurance
Many airlines are taking refund requests or offering free rebooking — but such options are often limited to specific dates or routes, so it’s important for travelers to check carriers’ individual websites for more information. For future trips, buying refundable tickets now may provide more flexibility.
Beyond what individual airlines can offer, some may also be seeking travel insurance. But it’s important to read the fine print, particularly the exclusions listed under specific policies.
“Acts of war and civil unrest are typically excluded because they’re unpredictable,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of travel insurance agency InsureMyTrip. Consumers could still buy coverage for delays, she added, but travel insurance is “designed to make you whole,” and if an airline does everything to rebook you or offers a refund, you may not have an added claim.
Christina Tunnah, of World Nomads Travel Insurance, reiterates that the majority of her firm’s policies excludes coverage for losses resulting from acts of war, although someone might be able to get compensation in certain scenarios — such as if they purchase a “cancel for any reason” plan. Still, the traveler would have to cancel within a certain time frame.
Tunnah adds that once an event is known, it’s unlikely to be covered. So if a consumer has not already purchased traveler insurance, many insurers may have added restrictions to impacted destinations.
Brace for longer flights and higher ticket prices
Beyond cancelations, many carriers are now taking longer routes to avoid closed airspace. Shahidi noted that includes not only closures stemming from this current war but also previous conflicts worldwide.
Navigating these different conflict zones has become increasingly difficult for airlines, because longer routes can be more expensive. It’s industry standard for carriers to pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace — which there could be more of now. And, of course, longer flights need more fuel.
“Those costs will be passed on to the passengers,” explained Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. If the conflict continues, he said, travelers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.
Passengers have already reported seeing sky-high ticket prices. Experts say those immediate hikes more likely reflect supply and demand as thousands of flights were canceled in recent days. But the costs of those longer routes — paired with oil prices that have already spiked since the US and Israel launched their attacks — could trickle down to consumers further ahead.
The price of crude oil is a key component for jet fuel, which accounted for about 30 percent of airlines’ operating costs as of 2024, according to research from the International Air Transport Association.
Many routes within the next week are completely sold out or have exorbitant prices for last remaining seats. The market currently shows those costs, while still elevated, are lower for trips booked further out, Terry notes — but, again, if the war drags on or worsens, “those conditions could change at a moment’s notice.”
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