Members of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force wave as a transport plane leaves for Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Sudan. The plane arrived in Djibouti on Saturday. Photo by Jiji Press/EPA-EFE
April 22 (UPI) — Sudan’s military said Saturday it would help evacuate foreign nationals from the country as two generals leading different factions of Sudan’s military continued to clash as fighting resumed.
Army chief Fattah al-Burhan said diplomats and nationals from the United States, Britain, France and China would be evacuated by air after the collapse of a ceasefire deal for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. reported the BBC.
The British Government is “doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic personnel in Khartoum and is working with [the Defense Ministry] prepare for many contingencies,” Minister of State Andrew Mitchell said in a tweet.
As fighting has left thousands of foreign nationals stranded in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, paramilitary relief forces and the Sudanese army have agreed to a ceasefire of up to three days starting on Friday.
But clashes flared up again on Saturday, when the sounds of heavy weaponry were heard again. The latest fighting has been centered around the army general command area, which is adjacent to the international airport where foreign nationals choose to leave. Al Jazeera reported.
There are 16,000 Americans in Sudan, one of whom has been killed in the fighting, the US State Department said on Friday.
U.S. government employees in Sudan are subject to strict asylum procedures and cannot travel within the country, so no urgent consular services can be provided to U.S. citizens in Sudan.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said more than 150 people were evacuated from Sudan on Saturday, including 91 Saudi citizens and 66 others from various other countries.
Meanwhile, Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft arrived in the nearby African country of Djibouti on Saturday to prepare for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Sudan. according to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK.
The transport plane landed late Saturday in Djibouti at a base used by the SDF for anti-piracy operations.
