First evacuation from Sudan to Saudi Arabia

“The FDFA (Federal Foreign Office) is constantly studying the options and measures that can be taken based on the various circumstances. The FDFA is in contact with third countries and, if necessary, may participate in the rescue operations of other states. For security reasons, the FDFA cannot provide further details.

The FDFA reported this Saturday afternoon that the first operation to evacuate civilians announced since the start of the fighting a week ago has just taken place: Saudi and other nationals evacuated from Sudan have arrived in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Arabia, Saturday, according to Saudi state television quoted by AFP.

First evacuation of civilians

“The first ship to evacuate people from Sudan has arrived carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and nationals of several allied countries,” state broadcaster Al-Ekbariya said. “Four other ships bound for Jeddah from Sudan are carrying 108 people from 11 countries,” he said without elaborating.

read more: Sudan is mired in conflict, and civilians are paying a high price

Al-Eqbariya broadcast images of large boats arriving at Jeddah port. It was the first large-scale operation of its kind since violence erupted in Sudan on April 15.

The US and other countries are continuing efforts to evacuate their citizens, Reuters reported. The United States, the United Kingdom, France and China will expel their diplomats and nationals “in the next few hours,” the Sudanese military has indicated. Khartoum International Airport remains closed due to violence.

More than 15 American Boeing C-17 Global Masters have just arrived in Djibouti, preparing for evacuation operations from Sudan as observers and Canadians officially announce the deployment of special forces to Djibouti.

An embassy under extreme pressure

The Swiss embassy in the disputed district of Khartoum has been hit by fighting, Serge Bavaud, head of the FDFA’s crisis management centre, admitted yesterday. One hundred Swiss nationals have been declared at the embassy in Sudan. Six passers-by registered with FDFA’s travel application “Travel Admin”.

FDFA is also aware of some Swiss tourists who are in the Sudanese waters of the Red Sea. It informs the affected persons and their relatives and supports them as much as possible, reads on its site. So far, about 10 have said they would be interested in an organized departure if it were possible.

read more: The Sudanese’s broken faith

There are seven Swiss expatriates and five compatriots in the embassy. Employing about 50 people, including local personnel, including 30 guards, at least 400 people have been killed in fighting between forces loyal to army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and his rival, General Mohammad Hamdan Daghlo. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fear the paramilitaries.

Witnesses reported hearing heavy gunfire and loud explosions in several neighborhoods of the capital, Khartoum, on Saturday morning.