Sudan FCO travel warning

Sudan


This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the Summary, Political Situation, Local Travel (Kassala and Red Sea, Upper Nile and Unity states) and Health sections. The overall level of the advice has not changed.
We advise against all travel to Malakal and all but essential travel to the rest of the Upper Nile area due to the security situation. Armed fighting broke out on 27 November 2006 in Malakal between the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and armed militia groups, and the situation remains volatile. See the Local Travel (Upper Nile State) section of this advice for more details.


We advise against all travel to the Eritrean border, and against all but essential travel to Kassala. The Sudanese border with Eritrea was tense earlier this year. The situation has been calm in recent months, but could deteriorate rapidly. See the Local Travel (Eastern Sudan) section of this advice for more details.


We advise against all travel south of Juba in Central and East Equatoria. We also advise against all travel in West Equatoria within 40kms of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). See the Local Travel (Southern Sudan) section of this advice for more details.


We advise against all but essential travel to all other parts of southern Sudan, including Juba. The situation throughout southern Sudan is volatile. There have been robberies and violence against NGO and UN staff. See the Local Travel (Southern Sudan and Unity State) section of this advice for more details.


We advise against all but essential travel to Darfur and areas West of an-Nahud and al-Fula in North Kordofan, which borders Darfur, due to the unstable security situation. This particularly applies to the Chadian/Darfur border areas since the Chadian Government attacked areas of West Darfur in April 2007. You should exercise extreme caution, including if you plan to visit Nyala, capital of South Darfur, where there have been recent serious incidents. If you are in Darfur you should seek advice from the UN security office in Geneina before travelling outside of the state capitals.


Banditry in Darfur is widespread and you should exercise caution when travelling outside the major population centres or at night. There have been several incidents involving NGO and UN staff and some African Union peace monitoring troops have been killed. See the Local Travel (Darfur and North Kordofan) sections of this advice for more details.


There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.


The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005 has effectively brought to an end the north-south civil war. However, some areas remain tense. There continue to be demonstrations, which have turned violent. You should remain vigilant and avoid demonstrations or similar large gatherings in public places. See the Political Situation section of this advice for more details.


We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details