As crisis in Sudan, the North African country enters the seventh day, the federal government is finalising arrangements to evacuate about 5,500 stranded Nigerians out of the war-torn country through the Egyptian town of Luxor.
The government, according to Blueprint’s findings, was seeking Egypt’s support so that the stranded Nigerians could be moved to Luxor.
Director of Special Duties of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who also doubles as Chairman NEMA committee for the evacuation of the stranded Nigerians from the North African country, Dr Onimode Bandele, said the federal government was meeting with Egyptian officials on how to move Nigerians out of Sudan through Egypt.
Similarly, while featuring on Channels Television Sunday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said the government had concluded arrangements to evacuate the 5,500 stranded Nigerians in Sudan by road.
Onyeama said Nigeria, for security reasons, would get due authorisation from the Sudanese government before the evacuation.
Records available to Blueprint showed that the conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group- Rapid Support Force- has claimed more than 400 lives with thousands of others injured and millions displaced.
There was an outbreak of clashes between erstwhile allies, General Abdel al-Burhan who heads the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary group, led by General Mohamed Dagalo.
It was also gathered that the warring groups had ignored several ceasefires, including a three-day pause to mark the Eid-al-Fitr celebration, which started Friday.
Just last Friday, the federal government, expressed its worry over the inability to get its citizens out of Sudan.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who explained the challenge, said it was impossible for any flight during this period of war as all airports and land borders in Sudan were closed.
NEMA on latest efforts
On the latest effort at rescuing the stranded Nigerians, Bandele said: “Let us make it clear that the situation in Sudan is an internal conflict. It is not Sudan versus another country. It is two factions against themselves. However, we are in touch with our ambassador in Sudan, and in fact, I spoke to him about two hours ago.
“The situation does not allow anybody to go in and pick any of their citizens. It may interest you to know that the governments of Qatar and France tried to move some of their citizens yesterday (Saturday) and they were attacked, so they have to beat a retreat.
“However, as I speak to you, the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, is already in Cairo, and some 30 minutes ago he had a meeting with Ambassador Nura Rimi, the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt.”
On how the federal government hopes to actualise its plans, he said: “The Nigerian government is exploring a diplomatic pact with Egypt, to see if Egypt can help us make arrangements to get into Sudan and move our people to safety at a town called Luxor in Egypt.
“There is another window too in Addis Ababa, however, that will be explored between Ambassador Rimi and the ambassador in Ethiopia. But the point I want to make here is that nobody who is thinking straight will just go into Sudan to move anybody.
“Mind you, some of those countries that we say had moved their citizens, some of them have fewer than 50 citizens in Sudan, but for Nigeria, if we do an evacuation today, it will be up to thousands.”
On the number of Nigerians in Sudan, Bandele replied, “In fact, from the figures we’ve got from our ambassador, 2,000 Nigerians are ready for evacuation, and he said the population of students that we need to move is about 3,000. So we are working with a figure of about 5,000 Nigerians.
UK troops
In a related development, reports say that team of British troops flew into a port town in the East of Sudan on a reconnaissance mission as the United Kingdom government weighs available options to evacuate British nationals stranded in the war-torn North African country, especially Khartoum, the nation’s capital city.
A Daily Mail report says the troops landed at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea Monday.
This, however, does not mean a rescue is imminent.
A British warship, the HMS Lancaster, is also in the region and could be used to help with rescue missions, according to Whitehall sources.
The Royal Air Force is considering a “viable option” of flying in from Cyprus to a Sudanese airfield just outside the capital — a route used over the weekend to rescue diplomats stuck in the war-torn country.
This is due to the 500-mile long and arduous journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan, Daily Mail reports.
Any decision, however, to order new evacuations will largely depend on the government’s willingness to take risks.
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According to reports, there are roughly 4,000 British passport holders in Sudan.
Another option being considered is that the government could ask allies to help take in its citizens.
The armed forces minister, James Heappey, said the military had various alternatives to present to the prime minister as pressure mounts on the government to help thousands of British nationals trapped in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, according to Daily Mail.
British forces extracted all British diplomats and their families from the city during a weekend raid.
“But of course the job isn’t done,” Mr Heappey said.
“Work is under way in this building and has been all weekend and all of the back end of last week to give the prime minister and Cobra [the emergency committee meeting of top ministers and officials] options for what else could be done to support the wider community of British nationals in Sudan.
“Those options are being developed at pace.
“The prime minister will be given the option to take any of the options that we present him with as and when they arise and that’s been the rhythm of things all weekend long,” he added.
