Several countries have begun the operation to repatriate their citizens from Sudan, where clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group have been raging for a week. The fighting has left thousands of foreigners, including diplomats and aid workers, stranded in Khartoum and other areas.
In some cases, these operations are being conducted from the air. Some countries preferred to evacuate their nationals by sea, via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a port 800 kilometers from Khartoum.
USA
US President Joe Biden announced on Saturday night that diplomatic staff had been removed from the US embassy in Khartoum, adding that Washington had temporarily suspended the operation of its embassy there. At the same time, he asked to end the "absurd" conflicts.
"This tragic violence in Sudan has already claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It is absurd and must be stopped”, he stressed.
According to American media, military aircraft and helicopters were used to evacuate the Americans. The exact number of Americans evacuated is not known, although it is at least 70 people, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. There are currently no plans to remove the other American citizens in Sudan, who number in the hundreds.
European Union
France launched Operation Archer. for the removal of its diplomatic staff, French citizens as well as Europeans from “allied countries”, including Greek residents of Sudan. Foreign and Defense Ministry sources commented that this operation is "extremely complex" as it is being conducted in a war zone where, moreover, "the networks no longer work", while the precise geolocation of the citizens who will be removed is necessary.
The first plane that left Khartoum and arrived in Djibouti already had a few Dutch people on board, while another group of Dutch people left the Sudanese capital by road in a UN convoy, Foreign Minister Wokpe Hoekstra said.
Italy has also launched the operation to remove about 200 people, of whom 140 are Italian and the rest Swiss and members of the Vatican embassy in Khartoum, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
Also, a German ferry landed in Khartoum this afternoon to pick up about 200 people, but Berlin warned that it will take some time before all foreign citizens are removed from Sudan.
Sweden has sent about 150 troops to help evacuate diplomats and citizens while Norway withdraws its diplomatic staff from the country.
Britain, Ireland
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced today that his country's armed forces had removed members of the British diplomatic staff and their families from Sudan.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace clarified that the United Kingdom carried out this operation. "together with the USA, France and other allies". S' this was attended by "more than 1,200 members" of the British armed forces.
Ireland, for its part, reported that the "evacuation process" for the removal of its citizens.
Arab countries
Egypt has begun the transfer of its citizens from Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa, in its north Sudan. Earlier, he urged Egyptians in Khartoum to stay in the safety of their homes until the situation improves. Cairo stressed the need to carefully organize a safe operation for the 10,000 Egyptians living in Sudan to return home.
According to Egyptian authorities, an Egyptian diplomat was wounded by gunfire, but no further details about his condition are known.
As of Saturday, Saudi Arabia has received 91 Saudis and about 60 citizens from 12 other countries. Kuwait said all its citizens who wanted to leave Sudan had already arrived in Jeddah, while Qatar thanked Riyadh for its help. In a statement, the Sudanese military accused the RSF of attacking and looting the convoy of Qatari diplomats heading to Port Sudan, but Qatar has not commented on the report. It is not clear if it was the same group of diplomats who left for Saudi Arabia.
Iraq announced that 14 of its citizens had been taken "to a safe location in Port Sudan" and efforts continue to remove the rest from Khartoum. The diplomatic staff had already left on Saturday.
Jordan has begun evacuating around 300 of its citizens while Lebanon has announced that 60 of its citizens have left by road and are "safe".
The Tunisian embassy in Khartoum has announced that the Tunisian repatriation operation will start tomorrow, Monday.
Libya has announced that 83 of its citizens, including diplomats, their family members, students and bank employees, have arrived in Port Sudan and will be repatriated from there.
Turkey, Russia, other countries
Turkey has announced that it will repatriate its citizens who are in war zones by land “via a third country”. The removal of around 600 Turks began today from two districts of Khartoum and from Wad Madanim, a town 200 kilometers south of the Sudanese capital. The evacuation of Kafouri district, in northern Khartoum, has been postponed "until further notice" due to an explosion that occurred near the gathering point of the Turks, the Turkish embassy announced.
Russia's ambassador in Khartoum told Russian media that 140 of the approximately 300 Russian residents of Sudan expressed a desire to they leave. It is currently impossible to implement the evacuation plan because it "involves crossing the border", he explained.
Other countries, such as South Korea and Japan, are also preparing to evacuate their citizens by deploying forces in neighboring countries. Indonesia is "taking all necessary measures" to safely get the Indonesians out of Sudan while India is "working closely with its partners" for the same purpose, reported the foreign ministries of the two countries. India has sent a warship to Port Sudan and two military aircraft to Jeddah as part of this preparation while urging its citizens to avoid “unnecessary risks”.
Source: APE-MPE
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