429 Iraqis evacuated from Sudan
Smoke rising over Khartoum over the weekend. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi authorities announced on Saturday the evacuation of 429 Iraqi citizens from Sudan, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The statement mentioned that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, succeeded in evacuating 429 Iraqi citizens from Sudan.
Three Iraqi airplanes participated in the evacuation of Iraqis in Sudan, the statement illustrated.
Two airplanes evacuated Iraqis in Sudan on April 27, and a third Iraqi airplane evacuated the rest of the Iraqis in Sudan on May 12.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry thanked all parties that contributed to the evacuation of Iraqis in Sudan, including the National Intelligence Service, which, through a specialized team, supervised the evacuation of the diplomatic staff of the Iraqi Embassy in Khartoum, and their families.
The step followed the announcement of the ‘Jeddah Declaration’ signed last Thursday by the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces to protect civilians affected by the armed conflict ongoing since mid-April.
The agreement focused on the withdrawal of military forces from hospitals and service facilities, opening safe paths for the exit of civilians from conflict areas, and bringing humanitarian aid to the capital and conflict-affected areas.
The continuous battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces prompted many countries to increase their efforts to evacuate their nationals or diplomatic missions, by land, sea, and air.
Since April 15, violent clashes have been taking place between the Sudanese army forces and the Rapid Support Forces, in separate areas of Sudan, most of which are concentrated in the capital, Khartoum.