246 Irish citizens evacuated from Sudan as warring parties agree to seven-day truce

LAST UPDATE | 2 May 2023

TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has confirmed that 246 Irish citizens and their dependents have been evacuated from Sudan.

Speaking in the Dáil last week, Martin explained that dependents “ordinarily means children and spouses who may not be citizens, but they are generally evacuated as well”.

In a statement today, Martin thanked Irish consular teams working across the region for their support.

He also called for an end to the violence in Sudan “so humanitarian aid can reach those who need it most”.

246 Irish citizens and their dependents have been evacuated from Sudan since the start of the conflict.

Thank you to our consular teams working across the region.

I again urge an end to the violence in #Sudan so humanitarian aid can reach those who need it most.

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 2, 2023

The latest advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs to Irish citizens in Sudan is to “shelter in place, remain indoors and observe local restrictions”.

However, if they judge it is safe to do, the Department said “citizens may decide to seek to depart Sudan at their own risk” and adds that “travel routes should be assessed carefully before deciding to travel”.

Those seeking to depart Sudan for neighbouring countries should also take careful advice before doing so as border crossings may be closed, or may involve long transit and processing times.  

The Embassy of Ireland in Kenya will provide information to registered citizens on any planned evacuation options from Sudan, if these become available. 

Evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna Airbase have now ceased.  

Meanwhile, the British Foreign Secretary said the British mission in Sudan is “not over yet” despite the end of the evacuation airlift.

The final evacuation flights left Sudan for Cyprus yesterday, with any British citizens seeking to leave now relying on making their own way to safety through Port Sudan or at land borders into neighbouring countries.

James Cleverly said the situation remained dangerous and officials were still in Port Sudan to help Britons seeking to leave the country.

Irish citizens have been among those evacuated from Sudan on flights arranged by the UK.

During the airlift – the longest and largest operation undertaken by any Western nation in Sudan – some 2,341 people were evacuated on 28 flights, the PA news agency understands.

Seven-day truce

Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, today agreed “in principle” to a seven-day truce, the government of neighbouring South Sudan has today.

The announcement came as diplomatic efforts intensified to end more than two weeks of war in Africa’s third-largest country.

Multiple truces agreed since fighting began on 15 April have been repeatedly violated, including one previously announced by South Sudan early in the fighting, which saw renewed air strikes today.

The latest battles come during a 72-hour ceasefire extension announced by the warring sides on Sunday. The army said that measure came due to “US and Saudi mediation”.

The repeated violations sparked criticism earlier today at a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, of the Extended Mechanism on the Sudan Crisis which brought together African, Arab, United Nations and other representatives.

“The two generals even though they accept the ceasefire, at the same time they continue fighting and shelling the city,” said Ismail Wais, of the eight-nation northeast African bloc IGAD.

‘Catastrophic’

The Addis talks aim to ensure a coordinated response, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said, opening the meeting.

“Our priority today is to have the ceasefire prolonged and respected, then to ensure humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Kenyan President William Ruto said earlier that the conflict had reached “catastrophic levels” and it was imperative to find ways to provide humanitarian relief “with or without a ceasefire”.

The UN said that more than 100,000 refugees were estimated to have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries, including Sudanese refugees, South Sudanese returning home prematurely and others who were themselves refugees in Sudan.

The agency said it was bracing for the “possibility that over 800,000 people may flee”.

Despite the dire needs, today the UN said its 2023 aid appeal for Sudan was $1.5 billion short.

But some relief has been arriving in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had delivered six containers of medical equipment to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, including supplies for treating trauma injuries and severe acute malnutrition.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it delivered 10 tons of supplies to a hospital in Khartoum as teams were starting to arrive to “launch emergency response activities”.

At least 528 people have been killed and about 4,600 wounded in the violence, according to the health ministry.

Another 250 are estimated to be missing, said a spokesman for the Mafqoud (Missing) online project.

Discussions involving Saudi and US mediators were underway with the rival generals to firm up a truce, UN head of mission Volker Perthes said ahead of the South Sudanese announcement.

The two sides “told us that they are ready to start talks on technical level over a ceasefire,” Perthes told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television in an interview released today.

Burhan’s envoy, Dafaallah al-Haj, was in Cairo where he met senior Egyptian and Arab League officials. Haj told a press conference that he hoped the Arab League, African Union, Saudi Arabia and the US could play a role in such talks toward a more lasting truce.

Burhan and Daglo fell out after a 2021 military coup which derailed Sudan’s transition to elective civilian rule.

Beyond Khartoum, lawlessness has engulfed the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina.

- With additional reporting from Press Association and - © AFP 2023