Sudan: State of emergency in Kassala and North Kordofan states

Event

The Sudanese government declared a six-month state of emergency in the states of Kassala and North Kordofan on December 30, without specifying the reason.

Additionally, on January 5 the government closed all its border crossings with Eritrea and reportedly deployed troops from the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (a governmental militia) to the country’s eastern border with Eritrea. According to the Sudanese government, the move is aimed at stopping human trafficking and the smuggling of drugs and arms in the region. It is unclear when the border will reopen.

Context

Organized crime groups and trafficking networks operate in the east of Sudan, exploiting the porous borders with Eritrea and Ethiopia. The government has made an effort to combat this activity, but has been hindered by its limited resources.

States of emergency are already in force in seven other states, including, the five Darfur states, where the government has been fighting rebels since 2003, as well as in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where there a conflict between the government and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels has been ongoing since 2011.

Advice

Individuals present in Sudan are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to remain vigilant.

On a more general note, many Western governments advise against nonessential travel to Sudan and against all travel to certain regions, including the five Darfur states, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, certain areas of North Kordofan, the Djebel Ouanat region, Dinder National Park, and Sennar state.