Sudan: Heavy Battles Rage As Saudi Evacuate Diplomats, Others

Heavy fighting is continuing in Sudan’s capital Khartoum between warring factions that have plunged the country into chaos with foreign expatriates preparing to flee via military escort.

The Sudanese army said on Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China and France out of the country on military aeroplanes.

Diplomats and their families from Saudi Arabia had already made it out of Sudan. Jordanian nationals were set to leave later.

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan spoke to leaders requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week.

Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed more than 400 people so far. With Sudan’s main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

Al-Burhan said diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said Jordan’s diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.