As the situation on the ground in Sudan continues to worsen, some foreign governments have rescued diplomatic personnel and citizens caught in the deadly war.
In the latest news today, the United Kingdom announced that it had successfully evacuated its diplomatic staff from the country, prompting frantic efforts by several other European governments to do the same on Sunday. US authorities reported that US special forces assisted in the evacuation of about 100 people on Sunday, the vast majority of whom were employees of the US embassy along with a few foreign diplomats.
Countries including France, Germany, and Italy are also planning evacuations to begin this Sunday. Egypt warned its people living outside of Khartoum to get ready to evacuate while asking those living in the city to stay put.
Local media report that both Germany and Italy have begun their evacuation operations, with a German military plane landing in Khartoum on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, other countries were able to safely remove their citizens. The Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah has received over 150 people by sea. Most of the refugees were from the Gulf states, while some came from Egypt, Pakistan, and Canada.
In addition, it has been reported that internet access throughout Sudan has completely stopped working everywhere. This could make it very hard to arrange help for people stuck in Khartoum and other cities.
Many foreign students who are stuck in Khartoum and are from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have made urgent calls for help. The constant fighting has made it harder for people to leave their homes.
Ghana’s government has said that plans are being made to move its people from Khartoum, Sudan, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A government news release says that students are some of the most vulnerable Ghanaians.
According to the statement, all Ghanaians in Sudan are safe at this time, and the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, which has concurrent accreditation to Sudan, is coordinating closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Honorary Consul in Sudan to ensure that all Ghanaians in Sudan are able to return to Ethiopia without harm.
What is happening in Sudan
Khartoum and other towns in Sudan have erupted in violence as powerful competing military factions fight for control, raising the possibility of a full-scale civil war across the country. The root cause of the violence is a struggle for power. Tensions between the army and the formidable paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), had been building for weeks before fighting broke out on Saturday.
The conflict between the top two generals of Sudan erupted into war on April 15, pitting the East African nation’s military against the Rapid Support Forces, a state-sponsored militia. The military is attacking RSF positions, many of which are in heavily populated areas, with jet aircraft. Both sides are also fighting on the streets with guns and artillery. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have left their homes, while millions remain trapped with limited food and water supplies. As of April 20, there had been nearly 330 fatalities and nearly 3,200 injuries.
