US warns citizens about travel to Sudan

Washington - The United States on Wednesday warned its citizens against travelling to Sudan where a state of emergency has been declared amid a power struggle between President Omar al-Beshir and ousted parliamentary speaker Hassan al-Turabi.

The State Department said in a statement it was advising Americans "against all travel to Sudan because of violence in the country" but did not specify whether the violence to which it referred was related to the country's ongoing civil war or potential unrest over the power struggle.

Washington suspended diplomatic relations with Khartoum in 1996 due to concerns the government could not adequately ensure the safety of US officials but still closely monitors events in Sudan which it has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The United States launched a missile attack against an alleged terrorist-related facility near Khartoum in retaliation for last August's bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the State Department said Sudan remained a country in which Americans were unsafe.

"Potential threats to US citizens and US interests in Sudan continue," the department said, adding that Americans in the country should adopt a low profile and avoid large crowds and demonstrations particularly those related the current political turmoil. - Sapa-AFP