More than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began.
“We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of citizens from several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials, who arrived in an evacuation operation carried out by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with the support of various branches of the armed forces,” read a statement by Saudi Arabia’s ministry of foreign affairs.
“The number of Saudi citizens evacuated is 91, while the number of people evacuated from brotherly and friendly countries is 66, representing the following nationalities (Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso),” said the ministry.
Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya television released several videos of warships approaching Jeddah’s port on Saturday. The evacuees were received by officials and soldiers who distributed sweets on the occasion of the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, footage showed.
After Jaishankar’s call
Earlier on Saturday, Sudan’s army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of several countries, including India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar, to “facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions”.
It noted that the evacuations are expected to begin “in the coming hours”, adding that the US, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military jets.
Clashes erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle.
The conflict — much of which has taken place in Khartoum — has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital Saturday morning, according to witnesses.
(With inputs from agencies)