Sudan conflict disrupts flights in South Sudan
By Adia Jildo
The ongoing brutal conflict on the streets of the Sudanese capital Khartoum have had ramifications on it’s Southern neighbor South Sudan, causing partial lock-down of the Juba international airport.
This was revealed Tuesday by Deng Dau Deng, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who said international flights have been halted following the fighting between rival military factions since Saturday in Sudan.
“Three international airlines that were coming to Juba were affected, but they got their routing and they arrived to Juba,” he told press conference in Juba.
The airlines that have been affected include,Turkish airline, Egypt airline and fly Dubai.
The air traffic to South Sudan remains under control of the civil aviation authority in Khartoum since independence of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.
“The route approaching Upper Nile State from Malakal, that route is affected. There is also another route coming from Eritrea as you cross Western Ethiopia is also affected,” Deng said.
He disclosed that air traffic from Ndjamena, Nairobi and Addis Ababa remains safe.
However, Deng said re-routing flights might lead to increase in ticketing.
“It will be an added burden on the ticket holders but that is something that is going to be definite,” he said.
Deng said regional airlines such as Ugandan airlines, Kenyan airways, and Rwanda are easily accessing Juba international airport.
The conflict in Sudan erupted on Saturday following deep disagreement between Abdl Fattah Al-Burhan, leader of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the integration of the latter’s forces into the national army.
The violence has claimed more than 100 lives and left nearly 2000 people injured.
