According to a statement, over 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, were rescued from Sudan brought on Saturday in Jeddah. This is the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began in the country.
The evacuation was done by the kingdom’s naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said. The evacuees were received by Saudi govt officials and soldiers.
Among those evacuated, there are 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries — India, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philipines, Canada and Burkina Faso, as per a ministry statement.
The foreigners included “diplomats and (government) officials”, it said. It did not issue further details.
Saudi Arabia “worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals” ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the statement said.
Among those who arrived in Jeddah on Saturday was the crew of a Saudi passenger plane that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the start of the fighting on April 15, according to Al-Ekhbariya.It was the first evacuation of civilians from Sudan since violence erupted there a week ago, the ministry said.
Earlier on Saturday, Sudan’s army said its chief had received calls from leaders of a number of nations to “facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions”.
More evacuations are likely to begin “in the coming hours”, the ministry said, adding that the US, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals out of Sudan.
It may be noted there that fighting started on April 15 between forces loyal to the army chief and those of his deputy-turned-rival, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out. The conflict has so far left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
With inputs from AFP and other agencies
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