Khartoum [Sudan], April 24: The governments of several countries are in a race to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens from Sudan, where fighting between opposing generals has been going on for the ninth consecutive day, the Associated Press reports.
Fierce fighting is taking place today in Omdurman, a city on the other side of the Nile from the capital Khartoum, citizens reported. The violence continues despite a proclaimed ceasefire that is supposed to last through the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr.
US Special Forces early today quickly evacuated about 70 members of diplomatic staff from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Although US officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a coordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, several other countries rushed to get their nationals and diplomats out of the country.
France, Greece, Turkey and other European countries announced today that they are organizing the evacuation of their embassy employees and other citizens along with some citizens of other allied countries. A spokeswoman for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that France is conducting the operation with the help of European partners.
Greece's foreign minister said his country had sent a plane and special forces to its ally Egypt in preparation for the evacuation of 120 Greek and Cypriot nationals from Khartoum. Most of them have taken refuge in a Greek church in the capital in recent days, Nikos Dendias said.
The Netherlands sent two air force Hercules C-13s and an Airbus A330 to Jordan in preparation for a possible rescue mission.
"We deeply sympathize with the Dutch people in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people when and where possible," Dutch Defense Minister KajsaOlongren said.
Italy has sent military planes to Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden to prepare the evacuation of 140 Italians from Sudan, many of whom have already taken refuge in the embassy. Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said that the crisis unit of the Ministry is in contact with the blocked citizens.
Turkey plans to evacuate its citizens from Sudan today, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, stating that they will evacuate by land via a third country, which was not named.
According to reports, citizens of third countries, who requested Turkey's help, are included in the evacuation plans.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia announced that in cooperation with the relevant bodies of the UN, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, the evacuation of Serbian citizens from Sudan, i.e. Khartoum, began today. So far, 11 Serbian citizens have left with UN, UEA and Turkish convoys, the Ministry stated, adding that they are looking for a solution for the evacuation of the remaining citizens who have expressed their desire to be evacuated.
Fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful Rapid Support Force (RSF) paramilitary group has paralyzed the international airport, destroyed several civilian planes and put at least one runway and other airports out of service across the country.
Traveling through land territory contested by warring parties proved dangerous. Khartoum is located about 840 kilometers from Port Sudan and the Red Sea.
However, some countries took the land route.
Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that it had successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi citizens and citizens of other countries. State television broadcast footage of a large convoy traveling in cars and buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship ferried them across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah.
Thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting in Khartoum and other hotspots, according to UN agencies. At least 20,000 people have left their homes in the western Darfur region for neighboring Chad.
Non-governmental organizations say that the capital Khartoum has become like a ghost town, that half of the population has fled, and the rest are looking for a way to escape.
Source: Beta News Agency