Countries around the world are evacuating their citizens to escape the chaos in the country as a 72-hour ceasefire was announced late Monday between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Foreign governments have airlifted hundreds of their diplomats and other citizens from Sudan amid a battle for power between two rival generals.
Many Sudanese are risking their lives to escape the violence by driving to the border with Egypt. “We traveled 15 hours on land at our own risk,” Suliman al-Kouni, an Egyptian student, said at the Arqin border crossing with Egypt. “But many of our friends are still trapped in Sudan,” he said.
During nine days of warfare in Khartoum and other cities, millions have been trapped in their homes by explosions, gunfire, and armed fighters looting in the streets while food supplies run out and hospitals near collapse. At least 459 people have been killed since fighting broke out on April 15.
United States
The sudden eruption of violence has also left many thousands of foreign nationals, including Americans, trapped in the East African nation. There could be an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are reportedly dual nationals.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Washington has started facilitating the overland departure of private U.S. citizens who want to leave Sudan with the use of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets.
The U.S. government and international partners are assisting U.S. citizens in Port Sudan. For those who are able to depart Port Sudan via ferry, U.S. government officials are also receiving citizens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Please contact U.S. Consulate General Jeddah with…
— U.S. Embassy Khartoum (@USEmbassyKRT) April 25, 2023
The United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely and the embassy staff was evacuated via three MH-47 Chinook helicopters with the help of U.S. special operations teams, inclduing about 100 members of the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six and the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group led the evacuation.
China
Most of the over 1,000 Chinese citizens in conflict-ridden Sudan have been safely evacuated to its border ports or neighboring countries, Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told local media. Chinese embassies in Egypt and Ethiopia are closely monitoring the security situation, and have sent assistance teams to evacuate from Sudan and go to Egypt and Ethiopia.
Chinese companies operating in Sudan are evacuating staff to neighboring countries as the local conflict continues.
United Kingdom
More than 1,200 British military personnel were sent to evacuate British diplomats and their families from Sudan. The British army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) were involved in the rescue, with C-130 Hercules and Airbus A400M transport aircraft used, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
On April 25, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a large-scale, complex evacuation of British people from Sudan. The UK Foreign Office urged people to make their own way to the Wadi Saeedna airfield to the north of Khartoum “as soon as possible”. Families with children, the elderly and people with medical conditions will be prioritised on RAF flights leaving Sudan.
The evacuation plan was unveiled after UK came under increasing pressure to help its citizens flee the fierce fighting. Around 4,000 UK citizens are thought to be in Sudan and 2,000 of them have already requested help.
France
France has evacuated 538 people, including citizens from 41 countries, on flights to Djibouti in the nearby Horn of Africa. They include 23 Sudanese citizens who were family members or had other links to foreigners being evacuated and 38 citizens of Niger. French military personnel also evacuated other European nationalities including from Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Romania and Switzerland as well as non-EU nationals.
Germany
The German military, the Bundeswehr, has begun evacuation operations in Khartoum. The German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) said that the country has evacuated a total of around 500 people from over 30 countries to safety. The foreign nationals were the citizens of Australia, Bulgaria, the UK, Belgium, Norway, Czechia, Ireland, Sweden, Austria and Portugal.
Egypt
Egypt announced an operation to evacuate over 10,000 Egyptian nationals nationals from “safe areas in Sudan” in coordination with Sudanese authorities.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on nationals outside Khartoum to head to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, or the Nile bank city of Wadi Halfa near the Egyptian border, in preparation for an evacuation mission. The ministry spokesman added that due to the large number of nationals, “we need an airtight, safe and organized plan to ensure the safety and accuracy of the evacuation.”
Egyptian officials advised nationals stuck in Khartoum to stay at home until the security situation improves and they can be evacuated.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has evacuated more than 350 people from Sudan, including its own nationals and 255 nationals from 26 countries including the US, the UK, Sweden, Italy, Qatar, Syria, the Netherlands, Iraq, Türkiye, Tanzania, Lebanon, Libya and South Korea.
A total of 356 evacuees including 101 Saudi nationals arrived in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts and offer assistance to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals to their destinations”, the ministry added.
We are actively engaged with our brothers in Sudan to ensure safe and secure passages with the aim of facilitating the evacuations. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts and offer assistance to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals to their destinations.
— فيصل بن فرحان (@FaisalbinFarhan) April 24, 2023
Canada
Canada’s foreign minister, Melanie Joly, says Ottawa is working with like-minded countries to help at least 1,600 citizens formally registered in Sudan flee the country. Canada has already suspended consular services in Sudan, saying Canadian diplomats would temporarily work from a safe location outside the country.
Italy
Italian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft airlifted some 200 people out of Khartoum airport Sunday evening and flew them to Djibouti. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said they included 140 Italians, some Swiss, other Europeans and personnel from the Vatican’s embassy in Khartoum.
Felice e orgoglioso di accogliere i connazionali di rientro dal #Sudan. Operatori umanitari, diplomatici e militari che con impegno e dedizione ancora una volta hanno fatto onore all’Italia. Grazie a #UnitàdiCrisi, @MinisteroDifesa @Palazzo_Chigi pic.twitter.com/4YKKkJi6s9
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) April 24, 2023
Spain
Spain said it had evacuated approximately 172 people from the Sudanese capital to Djibouti so far, including 34 Spanish nationals and citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Poland.
Thank you very much to all @EmbEspSudan staff for their hard work, and to all who have made this success possible. pic.twitter.com/dmWN7Lhv2D
— Spain MFA (@SpainMFA) April 24, 2023
Turkiye
Turkish foreign minister said that the country has faciliatted evcuation of nearly 1,500 people from Sudan by bus. Of those, 640 reached neighbouring Ethiopia, while 189 were crossing the border towards Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
“We’re planning our plane route, currently 850 people are still on the road, tomorrow we’re sending the rest of our citizens by bus,” Turkish Foreign Miunister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Türkiye also helped 110 people from 13 different countries get out of the conflict-torn country, he said.
Nordic countries
Sweden says 25 of its embassy staff and their families were among the 388 people that French aircraft airlifted to Djibouti. Denmark said 15 of its citizens were among the group.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that 10 Finns, including children, had been evacuated from Khartoum and efforts were underway to evacuate others. Norway’s Ambassador to Sudan Endre Stiansen has tweeted that he and two colleagues are “in a safe place” outside Sudan.
Belgium — Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said that the country was conducting operations in cooperation with France and the Netherlands to evacuate European nationals “as quickly as possible.”
Netherlands — Two Dutch air force C-130 Hercules have flown from Sudan to Jordan Monday carrying an undisclosed number of Dutch and other evacuees. Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a tweet more flights were planned “in close cooperation with partners.”
Jordan — Some 343 Jordanian nationals evacuated from Port Sudan arrived at Amman military airport aboard four transport aircraft.
Pakistan — Pakistan Foreign Office announced that the first batch of 500 Pakistanis has reached the country’s port safely for their onward to Saudi Arabia by sea. Those 500 Pakistanis would get home from Jeddah through special flights.
India — Indian authorities are scrambling to evacuate close to 3,000 Indian nationals from Sudan. India sent a ship, INS Sumedha, which rescued Indians and departed Port of Sudan for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The country also sent a second ship, INS Teg, with a capacity to carry about 350 people also reached Sudan.