After a week of battle, there is now hope that foreign countries may soon assist in the evacuation of foreign nationals after both of the opposing parties vying for control of Sudan declared they are prepared to do so.
The Sudanese army announced in a statement that it had consented to assist in the evacuation of citizens and diplomats from a number of nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China.
According to the announcement, evacuations are anticipated to start “within the coming hours.”
On Friday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they were ready to partially reopen all airports in Sudan to air traffic to allow countries to evacuate their nationals.
Fierce fighting broke out in Sudan last Saturday between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The two are former allies but tensions between them arose during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country’s military as part of plans to restore civilian rule.
The humanitarian situation on the ground is worsening. Many residents of the capital Khartoum have been stuck inside for a week and up to 20,000 refugees from Sudan’s Darfur region have fled to Chad in recent days, according to a statement from the UN Refugee Agency.
More than 400 people have been killed and 3,550 injured, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The announcements on evacuations came as fresh clashes between the two groups shattered a three-day ceasefire declared for the Muslim holiday of Eid.
Fighting was reported in Khartoum on Saturday, with witnesses telling CNN fierce clashes were taking place in the vicinity of the presidential palace and the sounds of explosions and warplanes flying overhead could be heard.
Saudi Arabia said Saturday its evacuation efforts were under way. The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the government was evacuating its citizens from Sudan alongside “several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries.”
CNN has reach out to the other countries named in the SAF statement.
A spokesperson for the European Union said that estimated 1,500 citizens from various EU countries are currently in Sudan.
“They are facing a very difficult situation and their safety is a priority. We urge both sides (the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces) to stop fighting and allow for safe passage out of the country,” the spokesperson said, adding the EU was working with member states to find solutions and get these people out of the country.
It is unclear how many US citizens are in Sudan. The State Department does not keep official counts of US citizens in foreign countries and Americans are not required to register when they go abroad. US State Department officials told 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.