Sudan army says it will help foreigners leave amid fighting

Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of Chinese, American, British and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan

Saudi Arabia announced the repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and others at the Saudi port of Jeddah

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Smoke rises from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:41am, 23 Apr 2023

The Sudanese army said on Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help. The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proved intensely dangerous.

Burhan “agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries,” Sudan’s military said.

Members of the armed forces pass out chocolates and flowers to Saudi citizens and other nationals upon their arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia following their rescue from Sudan on Saturday. Photo: SPA / AFP

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudan’s main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens – many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese military’s announcement. “We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and non-combatants,” the National Security Council said. On Friday, the US said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first travelled by land to Port Sudan, the country’s main seaport on the Red Sea. He said Jordan’s diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudan’s far east, some 840km (520 miles) from Khartoum.