Wednesday April 26, 2023
People walk along a street in Khartoum on April 24.Source: AFP/Getty Images
MOGADISHU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Somalia said Tuesday efforts are underway to bring back some 200 nationals who are stranded in Sudan where the fighting may trigger further displacement both within and outside the country.
Abdirahman Nur Dinari, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the government is working to ensure a safe return for its citizens from Sudan.
Nur lauded the Somali embassies in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia for their efforts in evacuating citizens who are trapped inside Sudan following days of military clashes between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary unit.
"Some 200 citizens will be evacuated from the border of Sudan and Ethiopia today," he told journalists in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. He thanked the Kenyan government which brought 19 Somalis from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and the government of South Sudan which allowed the Somali people to come to their border and facilitate their journey.
The latest move came a day after the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) launched hotlines for Somalis stranded in Sudan. The hotlines, which will run 24 hours daily, are for Somalis to report their locations to ease the evacuation process from Sudan.
The move came after the rival parties agreed to the three-day ceasefire which aims to establish humanitarian corridors, allowing citizens and residents to access essential resources, healthcare, and safe zones, while also evacuating diplomatic missions.
More than 400 people have been killed and over 3,000 more injured in clashes in Sudan since the unrest started, according to the World Health Organization.