Emergency committee set up to evacuate Kenyans from Sudan

The Kenyan government has set up an emergency committee to work towards evacuating citizens stranded in Sudan as fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered a second week with hundreds killed and thousands injured.

General Abdel Fattah Burhan who is the Sudanese Army Commander is involved in vicious power struggle with a paramilitary militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the command of Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo alias Hemedit.

Hamdan is former deputy to General Fattah.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the Special Inter-Agency Facilitation and Emergency Committee on Sudan will manage the evacuation of international staff in a coordinated manner.

“In view of the worsening situation in Sudan, the Government has decided to set up a special inter-agency facilitation and emergency committee on the Sudan.” Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said.

The Inter-Agency Facilitation and Emergency Committee will be coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

According to the Ministry, a command centre has been set up in Upper Hill for the smooth coordination of the exercise.

Early today, the United States of America (USA) Special Operations Forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy staff in warring Sudan in a combined ground and aerial operation in Khartoum that lasted in less than one hour.

On my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US Government personnel from Khartoum.” US president Joe Biden said.

During the delicate operation, no shots were fired and no major casualties were reported.

Effectively, the U.S. mission in Khartoum was closed down indefinitely with the active combat between rival military forces expected to spiral out of control if no immediate action is taken to remedy the already bad situation.

However, thousands of private American citizens were left behind with the embassy saying it is not feasible to evacuate all US nationals living in the volatile Sudan.

In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan “to the extent possible.”

Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day today, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. Fighting has killed more than 400 people.

Earlier today, the RSF announced that it had coordinated with a US military mission consisting of six aircraft which had evacuated the US diplomats and their families from the country.

“The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the US Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning,” the RSF said in a tweet.

The RSF also pledged “full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries”.

Today, the Canadian government announced temporary suspension of diplomatic operations in Sudan, joining other countries in doing so as fierce fighting rages on between rival Sudanese generals.

“The situation in Sudan has rapidly deteriorated, making it impossible to safeguard the safety and security of our staff in Khartoum,” Global Affairs Canada, the government’s diplomatic department.” The notice read in part.

It said Canadian diplomats would “temporarily work from a safe location outside of the country,” without identifying that location.

Canadian officials remain in close contact with local hires, “and we are looking at all possible options to support them, given the rapidly evolving situation,” the statement said.

It said limited consular services are being provided, adding, “officials in Ottawa are in regular contact with Canadians affected, providing them information and advice.”

The announcement came as the United States, Britain, France and several other countries have evacuated diplomatic personnel and their families from Sudan’s war-torn capital.

Saudi officials meantime said Canadian citizens were among more than 150 people, including foreign diplomats, whom they evacuated Saturday from Port Sudan.

Riyadh announced the “safe arrival” of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries — Canada, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Burkina Faso.

Besides calls by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states for immediate ceasefire between the Sudan combatants camps, Kenya’s president William Ruto said Nairobi is offering to mediate in Sudan’s conflict.

“Accordingly, to support further progress in the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan, Kenya hereby offers to host a process of mediation between the parties to the agreement. We make this offer in the spirit of brotherhood, peace and solidarity as an acceptable neutral venue and also as an engaged stakeholder well-seized with the challenges facing our region.” President Ruto said.