Sudan Crisis: Evacuation commences for second batch of Nigerians

THE Federal government has said evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians stranded in Sudan would commence on Saturday, April 29.

This was contained in a statement jointly issued and signed on Saturday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

According to the statement, the first batch of evacuees at the Egyptian border were currently undergoing required documentation to ensure their entry into the country.

“The movement of the second batch of 29 buses will commence on Saturday, 29th April, 2023. The evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage.

“Contrary to insinuations on the social media, Embassy staff are very much on ground in Khartoum to coordinate the evacuation exercise to the very end,” the statement read.

Nigerians in Sudan awaiting evacuation were advised to cooperate with officials to ensure proper documentation and avoid delays during the journey.

“While the Federal Government empathises with affected Nigerians, maintaining order amidst the desperate situation remains crucial to getting all interested Nigerians out of the war zone in record time before the expiration of the ceasefire, which has been extended by 72 hours,” the statement read.

The ministries also announced that the first batch of Nigerians at the Egyptian border would be evacuated shortly by the Air Peace airline and officials of the Nigerian Air Force, who have been on standby.

Public outcry over the sum of $1.2 million released for the evacuation was also addressed in the statement.

“The outcry over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for. The amount in question, was negotiated in a condition of war, and there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens.

“Therefore, the cooperation and understanding of all and sundry is required to complement ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan,” the statement read.

The crisis had frustrated the Nigerian government’s efforts to airlift thousands of stranded Nigerians directly from Khartoum, the Sudan capital.

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Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.