The Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan issued a statement on Friday, announcing the extension of the closure of Sudanese airspace until July 10. This closure applies to all air traffic, except for humanitarian aid flights.
Sudanese airspace was initially closed to regular traffic following the outbreak of a military conflict between the country’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April.
A truce for the Eid Al Adha holiday was abruptly ended on Thursday when a powerful explosion occurred near Sudan’s army headquarters, causing tremors throughout the capital city of Khartoum.
Residents reported that clashes between the rival forces resumed on the second day of Eid Al Adha, as columns of smoke billowed from the explosion site.
Although separate ceasefires were announced by the warring generals to halt the fighting during the holiday, sporadic clashes have been reported.
Since mid-April, the ongoing violent confrontations between the forces loyal to army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have resulted in dire conditions for millions of residents in Khartoum. They have been trapped, enduring extreme heat while facing electricity and water shortages.
The conflict between Gen Al Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Dagalo, has caused the death of at least 2,800 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. However, this number is considered a conservative estimate, as many wounded individuals are unable to reach healthcare facilities and bodies are left unattended in the streets of Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, where most of the violence has occurred.
Over two million people have been displaced within Sudan and across its borders due to this ongoing fighting, which began on April 15. Unfortunately, there are no signs of a resolution as both sides seem unwilling to engage in negotiations without first gaining a military advantage.
