Sudan evacuations gather pace amid pause in clashes

 

A number of countries have started extracting thousands of their citizens from the capital, Khartoum, as deadly conflict continues to rock Sudan.

A number of countries have started extracting thousands of their citizens from the capital, Khartoum, as deadly conflict continues to rock Sudan. Clashes erupted on April 15, trapping scores of people in their houses and compelling dozens of hospitals to halt their operations.

Read on for five major updates on the crisis.

1.       While South Africa has started evacuating its citizens and the embassy staff, South Korea's presidential office confirmed Monday a military aircraft has brought 28 of its citizens and an unspecified number of Japanese out of Sudan.

2.       US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has revealed America's concerns over the involvement of the Russian mercenary organization, Wagner Group, in Sudan.

Quoting anonymous officials, several US media outlets had reported on Wagner looking to interfere in the current Sudan crisis, in addition to supplying weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Nevertheless, Wagner has denied any involvement in the fighting and the RSF has also denied any connections with Wagner.

3.       France has said it will be shutting its embassy in Sudan 'until further notice'. According to the foreign affairs ministry, France has evacuated more than 490 people from 36 countries to Djibouti since Sunday, including citizens of 12 EU nations.

However, the ministry had been unable to get in touch with a few French people living outside Khartoum, it added.

4.       While up to 20,000 people are estimated to have already fled to Chad in the west, roughly 10,000 refugees are believed to have entered the southern neighbour, South Sudan, in recent days. South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.

5.       The UN is not leaving Sudan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stressed. He has called on all parties involved to end hostilities and enable civilians to escape from areas affected by the conflict.