Sudan evacuation: UK, US and others gear to remove diplomats, nationals

A statement released by the army said Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the nation’s de facto ruler, had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of a number of diplomats and nationals from multiple countries. It came after a promise by his rival – the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti – to open airports for evacuations.

Here’s all you need to know about the evacuation plans: 

The United States

US State Department officials informed that there are staffers estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals.

A US State Department spokesperson told CNN that the department remains in close contact with its embassy in Khartoum and have “have full accountability of our personnel.”

“For their safety, I cannot discuss the details of their movements or whereabouts,” the spokesperson added.

The United Kingdom

The British government said it was “doing everything possible” to support nationals trapped in Sudan. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday morning with the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, and the Africa minister, Andrew Mitchell.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan. We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies.”

France

Dagalo said he spoke to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Saturday and they discussed “the current situation, the reasons [that] led to the exacerbation of the situation” and the possibility of opening evacuation corridors.

The United Nations has said between 10,000 and 20,000 people have already fled to western neighbour Chad – which is already hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees.

(With inputs from agencies)