Sudan extends closure of airspace until April 30
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The Sudanese authorities announce that they are extending the closure of the country's airspace until the end of the month in light of the ongoing infighting.
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Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 22, 2023 (AP)
The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure of the country's airspace until April 30, the Khartoum International Airport said on Saturday.
"The Civil Aviation Authority has issued a notice to pilots extending the closure of Sudanese airspace to all air traffic until April 30," the airport said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Sudanese Armed Forces will respond to any violation of the country's airspace.
The army had announced earlier in the day that the Sudanese Armed Forces were in control of all of Sudan's airports except for the one in the capital, the Khartoum International Airport, and the Nyala Airport in South Darfur.
The Sudanese armed forces said Saturday that the process of evacuating the diplomatic missions of the countries that had requested it from Sudan would begin in the coming hours.
Fighting in Sudan's capital entered a second week Saturday as crackling gunfire shattered the temporary 72-hour truce, marking the latest battles between forces of rival generals that have already left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
On Saturday morning, bursts of gunfire resumed after the heavy explosions that had previously rocked the city in recent days had calmed down overnight.
Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan's forces declared a unilateral three-day truce starting Friday on the occasion of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, and wished for the RSF paramilitary organization to comply with the ceasefire.
Despite RSF agreeing on a ceasefire - starting at 6:00 am local time (4:00 GMT) on Friday - the truce did not hold as the warring sides continued their military campaigns across several regions in the country, mostly Sudan's capital Khartoum.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded the death of 413 people and 3,551 wounded due to the ongoing fighting across different regions of Sudan - while tolls are probably higher as it is almost impossible to get an accurate number in areas witnessing intense clashes.
The UN children's agency UNICEF said at least nine children were among the dead and more than 50 had been wounded.
Read more: No diplomatic solution to situation with RSF: Sudan military
The closure of the airspace comes after the SAF agreed to facilitate the evacuation of foreigners from the country.
The decision came after Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) leader of the RSF made promises to open airports for evacuations.
China, the United States, the UK, and France, have prepared themselves to evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Sudan's capital "in the coming hours" according to the SAF.
Additionally, Khartoum announced that Saudi Arabia evacuated its embassy workers via the Port of Sudan, with Jordan being expected to follow suit.
