Sudan’s General Burhan lands in Khartoum as army reclaims control of strategic airport
Under Burhan’s leadership, the army regained full control of Khartoum about four months ago, prompting the government to intensify efforts to restore basic services, rebuild infrastructure, and reestablish authority in the capital.
Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, landed his presidential plane at Khartoum International Airport on Saturday—his first such landing since the civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Upon disembarking, Burhan held talks with Chief of Staff General Mohamed Osman Al-Hussein, who briefed him on the current security situation in the city.
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According to the Sudan Tribune, recent repairs to the airport’s primary runway enabled the landing, marking a shift from Burhan’s last visit in March, when he arrived by helicopter.
His arrival aboard a fixed-wing aircraft underscored SAF’s increasing control over key infrastructure in the capital, even though the airport’s terminal buildings still show extensive damage from earlier militia attacks.
Khartoum International Airport—the country’s largest and busiest—was among the first strategic locations seized by RSF fighters when fighting began. It ceased operations shortly afterwards, with several civilian aircraft destroyed on the tarmac and control towers damaged in the crossfire.
Full control of Khartoum
The army, under Burhan’s leadership, regained full control of Khartoum about four months ago. Since then, the government has ramped up efforts to restore basic services, repair public infrastructure, and reassert its authority over the capital.
Meanwhile, Sudan has descended into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Fighting between the army and RSF has killed at least 24,000 people and displaced nearly 13 million others, including four million refugees.
In 2024, Sudan recorded the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) ever documented in a single country, with 11.6 million people forced to flee their homes amid the intensifying civil war.
According to the 2025 Global Report on Internal Displacement by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the surge in displacement is directly linked to the unrelenting conflict between the SAF and the RSF.
What began as a power struggle focused on Khartoum and Darfur has since spread to several other regions, leaving behind widespread destruction, loss of life, and mass displacement.
"Sudan continued to host the largest number of IDPs globally at 11.6 million, and the humanitarian situation in the country deteriorated as conflict persisted," the report reads.
The report also notes that many IDPs in Sudan and other affected regions face limited access to basic services, including shelter, food, healthcare and clean water.
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