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Event security in Khartoum

Event Security

Event Security in Khartoum, Sudan

Sudan operations planning for Khartoum. Extreme risk: active civil war since 2023, KRT airport closed. Remote risk assessment and future re-engagement support.

Extreme risk Sudan

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Khartoum is classified at extreme risk and is not accessible for in-person international events. The civil war that began on 15 April 2023 between the SAF and the RSF has caused catastrophic destruction across the capital, Khartoum International Airport is not operational for commercial flights, and diplomatic missions and international organisations have relocated operations to Port Sudan. The FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan and the US State Department maintains a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) advisory for the entire country. This page serves organisations maintaining a Sudan portfolio and planning for future re-engagement when conditions permit. Source: FCDO Sudan travel advice (2026); US State Dept Sudan Level 4 advisory (2026).

Monitoring Khartoum for re-engagement

The key indicators for Khartoum re-engagement viability are: sustained ceasefire or significant front-line stabilisation in the Khartoum conurbation, resumption of commercial flights into KRT or a proximate alternative airport, restoration of utility infrastructure to a baseline operational level, and the reopening of diplomatic missions and UN offices in the city. Remote monitoring of these indicators, maintained by a retained security intelligence provider, allows organisations to calibrate re-entry planning without committing to in-country deployments prematurely.

Regional alternatives while Khartoum is inaccessible

For Sudan-focused work that must continue in the current period, Port Sudan is the operational base. Juba and Djibouti City provide regional Hub alternatives for East Africa and Horn of Africa coverage that includes a Sudan component. Cairo and Addis Ababa are the standard advance team transit points for any future Khartoum re-entry mission.

For regional event security context, see our event security page for Juba and our event security page for Djibouti City. Specialist security support for Khartoum re-engagement planning is available via our Khartoum close protection services.

Planning

What our event security covers

Current Status: In-Person Events Not Viable

Khartoum is not a viable location for any internationally attended event under current conditions. The civil war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused catastrophic destruction across the capital, including sustained fighting in residential and commercial districts, destruction of critical infrastructure and the forced displacement of the majority of the city's population. Khartoum International Airport (KRT) was severely damaged in the early phases of the conflict and is not operational for commercial flights. Diplomatic missions, UN agencies and international NGOs that had established offices in Khartoum have relocated operations to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, which has functioned as Sudan's operational capital for international organisations since late 2023. This page is maintained for organisations monitoring Sudan for future re-engagement planning, and to provide a current assessment baseline for security professionals tracking the Khartoum situation.

Civil War Context: SAF and RSF

The conflict that erupted on 15 April 2023 between the SAF and the RSF, formerly the Janjaweed militia incorporated as a paramilitary force, has produced one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. Fighting has been particularly destructive in Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri (North Khartoum), which together constitute the greater Khartoum conurbation. RSF forces occupied significant portions of Khartoum city, including the area around the presidential palace and key bridges over the Nile. The FCDO Sudan travel advice (2026) advises against all travel to Sudan and specifically highlights the active conflict in Khartoum as making the city inaccessible for normal operations. The US State Department maintains a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) advisory for Sudan. No commercial international airline currently operates services into Khartoum International Airport. The humanitarian situation across the city is characterised by near-complete destruction of utilities, widespread food insecurity and collapse of healthcare infrastructure. Source: FCDO Sudan travel advice (2026); US State Dept Sudan Level 4 advisory (2026).

Port Sudan: The Operational Gateway

Since the conflict began, Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast has served as the de facto operational base for international organisations with Sudan programmes. The UN, ICRC, major NGOs and a number of diplomatic missions that relocated from Khartoum have established or expanded offices in Port Sudan. Port Sudan International Airport (PZU) is the primary international entry point for Sudan, operating a limited schedule of flights to regional hubs including Cairo, Addis Ababa and Jeddah. Security conditions in Port Sudan are significantly more stable than in Khartoum, but the city is not without risk: it experienced drone attacks and military activity during periods of the conflict, and its infrastructure has been strained by the displacement of large numbers of people from Khartoum. Organisations requiring in-person coordination meetings in Sudan that cannot wait for a Khartoum re-engagement window should plan for Port Sudan as the operational base. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Port Sudan.

Remote Risk Assessment and Monitoring Services

For organisations maintaining a Sudan portfolio during the active conflict period, remote risk assessment and monitoring services provide the operational intelligence needed to make informed decisions about future re-engagement timelines. These services cover: daily monitoring of SAF and RSF front-line developments in the Khartoum conurbation, tracking of humanitarian access corridor openings and closures, monitoring of diplomatic negotiations and ceasefire discussions (including AU-mediated processes), assessment of infrastructure recovery indicators including airport status, and regular updated risk ratings for Khartoum districts as conflict dynamics evolve. Remote assessment does not replace in-country intelligence, but it provides the strategic level monitoring that organisations need to plan their re-engagement readiness, procurement pipelines and staffing structures for when conditions improve.

Future Re-Engagement Planning

Planning for Khartoum re-engagement while active conflict continues allows organisations to move quickly when conditions permit. The key planning elements are: a pre-identified operating compound location in Khartoum that can be assessed remotely for structural integrity; a vetted local security partner network with whom relationships are maintained during the conflict period; a phased re-entry protocol that begins with an advance team assessment mission before any broader delegation travel; pre-prepared medevac and evacuation contracts that can be activated immediately upon re-entry; and a pre-defined security threshold framework that specifies the conditions under which in-country operations become viable. Organisations with a Sudan re-engagement requirement should also monitor the status of KRT airport rehabilitation, which will be a key enabling condition for commercial flight resumption. Regional hubs for advance team transit, including Cairo and Addis Ababa, should be incorporated into re-entry planning.

Regional Support: Juba and Djibouti City

Organisations with operations across the East Africa and Red Sea region that include a Sudan component should consider how Khartoum fits within a broader regional security planning framework. Juba in South Sudan and Djibouti City both serve as regional hubs for organisations monitoring the Khartoum situation. Juba provides access to South Sudan's humanitarian operations and serves as a southern-sector base. Djibouti City's combination of strategic positioning on the Bab-el-Mandeb and its multiple international military bases makes it a regional security and logistics hub with good air connections to Port Sudan via Aden or Sana'a transit when conditions permit. These regional hubs allow security planners to maintain an East Africa and Horn of Africa capability footprint while Khartoum remains inaccessible.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Khartoum has been the site of active civil war since April 2023, fought between the SAF and the RSF. Khartoum International Airport is not operational, diplomatic missions have relocated to Port Sudan, and the city’s infrastructure has been severely damaged. The FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan and the US State Department maintains a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) advisory. In-person events in Khartoum are not viable under current conditions. Source: FCDO Sudan travel advice (2026); US State Dept Sudan Level 4 advisory (2026).

Most international organisations, UN agencies and diplomatic missions that were based in Khartoum have relocated to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. Port Sudan International Airport (PZU) is the current international entry point for Sudan. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Port Sudan. For organisations that cannot wait for Khartoum re-engagement, Port Sudan is the current operational alternative.

Khartoum International Airport (KRT) was damaged in the early phases of the April 2023 conflict and has not operated commercial international flights since then. Airport rehabilitation is a key enabling condition for any future Khartoum re-engagement. Organisations should monitor KRT status as part of their re-engagement readiness planning. Source: FCDO Sudan travel advice (2026).

Remote risk assessment and monitoring services cover daily tracking of SAF and RSF front-line developments in the Khartoum conurbation, monitoring of humanitarian access corridors, assessment of ceasefire negotiations, airport rehabilitation status tracking and updated district-level risk ratings. These services support organisations maintaining a Sudan portfolio and planning for future re-engagement.

Port Sudan is the primary Sudan operational base for international organisations. Regional hubs for East Africa and Horn of Africa coverage include Juba (South Sudan) and Djibouti City. Cairo and Addis Ababa serve as advance team transit points. Our event security pages for these cities provide the relevant regional context.
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