Published: October 24, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Sudan Travel Advisory and Sudan Country Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Khartoum
U.S. Embassy Road, Kilo 10, Soba, Khartoum
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
There is no Country Chapter in Sudan. Contact OSAC’s Africa team with any questions.
Sudan Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that individuals should not travel to Sudan due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, landmines, health risks, and kidnapping.
The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations in April 2023 due to the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan. The U.S. government cannot provide routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Sudan due to the current security situation.
To report an emergency regarding a U.S. citizen in Sudan, contact U.S. Embassy Cairo at +20-2-2797-3300. Or contact the Department of State at +1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada or +1-202-501-4444 from elsewhere in the world.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Khartoum as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Sudan, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
The crime emergency line in Sudan is 999. Individuals should call this number to report a crime or seek assistance in an emergency. Individuals should not expect English speakers to be readily available.
Crime has increased substantially since the outbreak of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. Criminal activity is becoming more violent and confrontational and includes repeated reports of killings, assault, kidnappings, home invasions, looting, and armed robbery throughout the country, especially in areas of armed conflict.
The vast majority of crimes affect the local population rather than the international community, although the U.S. Department of State has received reports of UN personnel and other Westerners targeted for car break-ins and other crimes of opportunity.
Banditry is prevalent throughout Sudan, particularly in the Darfur, Kordofan, and Chad-Sudan border regions, where several incidents have resulted in deaths.
Reports of sexual assault and rape are widespread, especially in areas of armed conflict.
Across Sudan, individuals and organized crime networks are engaged in smuggling and trafficking activities through the country’s porous borders. Authorities do not have the resources to stop these activities.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Sudan, indicating that criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure, or continue to detain individuals to compel a third party (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release.
Since the April 2023 outbreak of armed conflict between the SAF and the RSF, reports of abductions, kidnapping for ransom, and forced servitude have increased, especially in areas of armed conflict. RSF elements have relied upon kidnapping for ransom and abductions to generate revenue for their armed operations. Reports of kidnapping have been primarily concentrated in the Darfur, Khartoum, and Kordofan regions.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Khartoum as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Sudan, indicating that terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist.
Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting foreign and local government facilities and areas Westerners frequent. Elements of ISIS, al-Qaida, and many other terrorist organizations are believed to recruit in Sudan.
Sudan has enacted legislation to combat organized crimes (human trafficking), is no longer on the Financial Action Task Force watch list related to terrorism financing and was officially removed from the U.S. government’s State Sponsor of Terrorism list in December 2020.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Khartoum as being a CRITICAL-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Sudan, indicating that demonstrations, protests, and/or strikes occur frequently and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond adequately. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Individuals should avoid demonstration activity, as even demonstrations planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
In December 2018, protests against Sudan’s worsening economic situation occurred in a number of cities. The protests quickly transformed into persistent demonstrations calling for then-President Omar al-Bashir to step down. This movement gained steam as a revolution, which led to Bashir’s removal from office and arrest in April 2019. A transitional Military Council took power and began negotiations with a coalition of opposition parties. These negotiations culminated in the signing of a political agreement and constitutional declaration in August 2019. These two documents together laid the foundation for the creation of the Civilian-Led Transitional Government (CLTG), which was meant to be in place until elections were held in 2022. Following the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement in October 2020, elections were postponed to 2024.
In October 2021, following weeks of intense protests in support of and against the CLTG, which was led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, SAF Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka “Hemedti”) ousted the CLTG and declared military rule. Protests against the military government took place regularly and were routinely repressed with violence and even lethal force. Rising inflation and shortages of fuel, bread, and other staples exacerbated political and economic grievances and contributed to the protests.
PM Hamdok was briefly reinstated in November 2021 but resigned due to public pressure by protesters in January 2022. Following Hamdok’s resignation, Sudan had no civilian leadership, with power shared between Burhan and Hemedti. Throughout 2022 and 2023, the SAF and the RSF engaged in negotiations to lay the groundwork for a transition to civilian leadership and national elections and to determine the role of the security forces in a post-transition government. A sustained breakdown in these negotiations ultimately led to the outbreak of armed conflict between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum on April 15, 2023.
Intercommunal violence and armed actor activity occur throughout the country and have resulted in localized states of emergencies in the past.
The following regions face particularly high intercommunal violence and armed actor activity:
- Darfur Region: Communities are victimized by the ongoing conflict, and deadly intercommunal violence continues. Crime, looting, and conflict over economic resources (land, gold, livestock, etc.) are common. Attacks on camps for internally displaced persons have resulted in numerous fatalities. RSF and allied militias’ activity in Darfur has exacerbated intercommunal tensions and violence, leading to international concern over genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by these groups. Armed actors may transit Sudan’s borders with Chad and the Central African Republic.
- Kordofan Region: Armed conflict, crime, and intercommunal violence are common. Armed actors may transit Sudan’s borders with South Sudan and Ethiopia. Intercommunal tensions persist in the Abyei region due to prolonged disputes between Sudan and South Sudan.
- Eastern Sudan: Tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan have prompted the stationing of military forces along the disputed border in Gedaref’s Fashaga region, as well as clashes involving Ethiopian militias and intercommunal reprisals over farmland disputes. Incidents of cross-border crime, including kidnapping, have occurred. Human traffickers and organized crime syndicates are known to operate in the Kassala area (Kassala, Gedaref, and Red Sea states) along the Ethiopian and Eritrean borders. Individuals should stay on major roads if traveling by vehicle due to potential landmines and other explosive remnants of war.
Protests & Demonstrations
In recent years, Sudan has experienced periodic and localized demonstrations. Other forms of civil disobedience can occur with little warning.
Security forces regularly repress protests and can use lethal force against protestors.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
Views of the United States have been mixed since the outbreak of conflict, with some Sudanese expressing support for U.S. efforts to end the war and others criticizing the United States for interfering in Sudan’s internal affairs.
Law Enforcement
Emergency numbers include 999 (Reserve Police), 998 (Fire Brigade, Civil Defense Police), and 333 (Central Ambulance).
Responsibility for internal security resides with the Interior Ministry, which oversees police agencies, as well as the Defense Ministry and the General Intelligence Service. Members of security forces routinely commit abuses.
Police Response
Very rarely will a police officer assigned to patrol duties or a checkpoint speak English. In addition, several security elements, including the General Intelligence Service, do not wear uniforms and can be difficult to identify.
If stopped by police, travelers should remain calm and avoid responding with aggression. They should present their identification documents and answer questions fully. Sudanese security forces and armed groups are known to detain individuals arbitrarily. Authorities have arrested and detained dual Sudanese-U.S. citizens without notification to the U.S. government and without affording consular access. In the past, the government has not recognized dual citizenship for consular purposes and does not provide the U.S. government with courtesy notifications for dual Sudanese citizens. Sudan does not routinely detain U.S. citizens without dual citizenship, but all are subject to detention at any time.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Sudan, review the local laws and circumstances information on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Sudan.
Rule of law is weak, especially in areas of armed conflict. The SAF, government security forces, the RSF, and armed groups regularly arrest and detain individuals arbitrarily, although the U.S. government is currently unaware of any U.S. citizens wrongfully detained in Sudan. Harassment of detainees and civilians is common. Corruption is pervasive, and transparency is limited.
Cybersecurity
Poor information infrastructure leads to a wide range of risks in cyberspace. Cyber actors with varying levels of sophistication are developing capabilities to commit crime and to support terrorism activities. Terrorist groups use platforms in cyberspace, mainly through social networks, to promote their agendas in Sudan and to support their recruitment efforts.
Authorities in Sudan have intermittently blocked access to specific social media sites or general internet access, as well as phone service, during the conflict and at times of unrest.
Import/Export Restrictions
Prohibited and restricted imports include:
- Potassium bromide;
- Gambling instruments;
- Weapons, ammunitions, and explosives without a license;
- Used clothes;
- Used tires;
- Wines;
- Narcotics except those licensed for medical research;
- Forged currencies and paper used for forgery;
- Creams not registered with the Ministry of Health; and
- Tapes containing “shameful pictures or immoral printed matters.”
Certain items are restricted from imports without prior approval from specific government agencies. Additional information is available on the Sudanese government customs website.
A country-specific list of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
