KHARTOUM, Sudan – The United Kingdom has announced plans to evacuate British citizens from Sudan amidst the ongoing conflict in the country. The evacuation is expected to be a large-scale, complex operation with priority given to families with children, the elderly, and people with medical conditions.
UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, revealed on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, that RAF flights would leave from an airfield near Khartoum capital.
The UK government has come under mounting pressure to help its citizens flee the fierce fighting that has claimed at least 400 lives since 15 April. It is believed that around 4,000 UK citizens are in Sudan, with 2,000 of them already requesting assistance. However, only British passport holders and their immediate family with existing UK entry clearance are eligible for evacuation.
The UK Foreign Office has instructed British nationals to make their own way to the airport, without an escort. An RAF plane has already left an airfield north of Khartoum, headed for a military base in Cyprus. However, it is unclear whether any UK nationals are onboard.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed that the situation in Sudan remains “dangerous, volatile and unpredictable”. He noted that the UK government was not able to escort people to the airfield and that citizens would need to “make their own way there”. Cleverly has made contact with the military leaders in Sudan, but he warned that it was impossible to predict how long the evacuation window would remain open.
“We would maintain the airhead for as long as we can,” he said. “The UK is working as quickly as possible to get people out.”
The Foreign Office has urged UK citizens not to make their own way to the airport unless contacted. The evacuation comes as a 72-hour ceasefire, agreed by rival military factions, appears to be holding, although there have been reports of new gunfire and shelling.
Stranded Britons In Sudan Accuse UK Government Of Abandonment Amidst Conflict
Britons trapped in Sudan amidst ongoing conflict are accusing the UK government of abandonment, as diplomatic efforts to evacuate embassy staff leave hundreds of British civilians without a clear path to safety. While the UK is preparing plans for a military airlift of a dozen British diplomats and their families from the embassy in Khartoum, many diplomats have been sheltering in their homes since the violence erupted.
Trapped British civilians have criticized the embassy’s slow response, noting it took five days to receive a contact number for registering with the foreign office. One British teacher expressed frustration with the lack of action, calling the situation “ridiculous and farcical.”
Compounding the issue, the British ambassador to Sudan and his deputy were abroad when the violence began and have been unable to return, limiting the embassy’s capacity to assist those in need. One Briton in Sudan on Monday, April 24, 2023, described the situation as “tiny” and lamented the scarcity of embassy personnel to help.
The chaos has drawn comparisons to the Afghanistan evacuation in August 2021, with irritated senior figures in Whitehall expressing concern. However, ministers and Whitehall officials maintain that a wider evacuation of Britons in Sudan has not been feasible at this stage.
Feeling abandoned and without support, many British citizens in Sudan are pleading for help. “We need to get out of here, and we need help doing it,” said one stranded Briton. “It’s like we’ve been forgotten.”
The UK Foreign Office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation in Sudan.
Finally, Nigeria to Evacuate Stranded Citizens As Conflict Escalates in Sudan
ABUJA, Nigeria – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, announced on Sunday, April 23, 2023, that the federal government plans to begin evacuating stranded Nigerians from conflict-ridden Sudan within the next two days.
The country has been torn apart by fighting between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since the crisis erupted last Saturday, hundreds of people have been killed in Sudan’s capital as the rival generals’ forces clashed.
Thousands of Nigerians are currently in Sudan, with 5,500 expressing interest in evacuation to Nigeria.
Onyeama discussed the government’s plans during an appearance on the Channels program, Sunday Politics.
He said, “We are hoping that in the next day or two, we can start. We would have gotten approval from the Sudanese government to start moving our people out.”
The minister has been in contact with Nigeria’s ambassador to Egypt to help facilitate a corridor for evacuation and provide support for the evacuees upon their arrival.
Onyeama dismissed accusations that the federal government had not shown enough concern for Nigerians in Sudan, emphasising that the security of Nigerian citizens is the government’s top priority.
Approximately 5,500 Nigerians are ready for evacuation from Sudan, with 80% of them being students.
Onyeama stated that various government agencies, including NEMA, are collaborating to provide relief to those stranded and determine their needs before evacuation.
Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema Offers To Evacuate Stranded Nigerians From War-Torn Sudan
LAGOS, Nigeria – Allen Onyema, the chairman and CEO of Air Peace, has offered to evacuate Nigerians stranded in war-torn Sudan free of charge.
In a statement on Monday, April 24, 2023, Onyema expressed concern for the plight of Nigerian students and others stranded in Sudan and their urgent need for help.
“Everything must not be left for the government and government alone,” Onyema said. “It will be a privilege and honour of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country.”
The conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force (RSF), has claimed over 400 lives and injured about 3,500 people. The violence started on April 8 and displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum.
Nigeria and other countries have initiated actions to evacuate their citizens to safety. Onyema suggested that Nigerians could be moved to a neighbouring country, and the airline would fly there to evacuate them, as Sudan’s airspace is closed from civil aviation flights.
“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace, and unity, we are for it,” Onyema said.
“Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges. If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda, or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again.”
This gesture by Air Peace has been widely applauded by Nigerians, who have taken to social media to commend the airline for its patriotism and commitment to the well-being of Nigerians.
“I think this is a great gesture and a true reflection of the Nigerian spirit of brotherhood,” said Chinedu, a Lagos resident. “Air Peace has once again shown that they are a company that cares about Nigerians and will go to great lengths to help.”
The Nigerian government has yet to respond to the offer by Air Peace, but many are calling on the government to take up the offer and ensure the safe return of Nigerians stranded in Sudan.
