Sudan violence: UK diplomats evacuated from Khartoum

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan in a “complicated and rapid” operation.

Mr Sunak said work was continuing to ensure the security of British nationals remaining in Sudan.

However, some Britons still in the country complain that they feel abandoned by the British government.

In Sudan, violence between two rival factions has led to deadly shootings and shelling in the capital, Khartoum.

A power struggle that erupted last week between the country’s regular army and a militia called the Rapid Relief Force (RSF) has spread to other parts of the country, creating a growing humanitarian crisis.

Electricity is scarce, and food and water supplies are scarce for many.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday agreed that Britain and Egypt would work with international partners, including the African Union, on diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.

MP Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defense Task Force, said the prime minister would enter a “phase two” of evacuations to ensure that all British passport holders wishing to leave the country could be plucked. He said we need to focus.

He said he did not know how many British passport holders there were in Sudan, but told the BBC he understood there were “over 2,000” with over 1,000 registered with the Foreign Office.

Asked about criticism that Britain had not acted quickly enough to evacuate British diplomats and their families, Ellwood said more than 1,000 military personnel had been mobilized on very short notice.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told BBC News that C-130 Hercules and A400 Airbus aircraft were used in the rescue, involving personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said there were “specific threats and violence directed against diplomats” that led to the decision to evacuate officials.

He said moving the embassy to a nearby country would allow diplomats to provide more assistance to the people of Sudan.

However, he said the government’s ability to evacuate other British nationals was “severely limited” until fighting between the warring parties ceased.

On Sunday, Cleverley chaired the 6th Cobra Session, an emergency response committee made up of ministers, civil servants and others to discuss the “escalation” of violence in Sudan.

Labor’s shadow foreign minister, David Lammy, praised the military effort to evacuate diplomats but said he was “deeply concerned” for the welfare of British citizens remaining in Sudan.

Some British citizens in Khartoum have told the BBC that they feel abandoned by the British government in recent days.

Sam, a British businessman living in Sudan, told the BBC that the news of Britain’s withdrawal “gives us hope, but with no information from the government, this was clearly a diplomatic-only solution.” said.

He described the situation as “a nightmare for those of us left behind” and said he knew many whose embassies from other countries like Hungary and South Africa were planning to evacuate their citizens. .

William, another British citizen in Sudan, had a confused evacuation when he told the BBC he had chosen to leave the capital Khartoum on a bus arranged by his Sudanese employer to evacuate him and other citizens to Egypt. explained.

In an interview with Newshour, he said the British government had given him “nothing” in terms of support, adding: none.

“We were on 3G all day because the internet was gone, and we were all running out of data, so communication was becoming more and more difficult.”

William said people wishing to evacuate were scattered around the city until they boarded a bus, describing the wait as a “dangerous situation” with “constant gunfire”.

“We’re making very slow progress, but we’re making steady progress. So the idea is that if we keep moving forward for the next two days, to the Egyptian border, we’ll be somewhat safe.”

The UK Sudan Youth Doctors Association said it knew of 71 NHS doctors currently trapped in Sudan. They are UK citizens or residents and are a mix of consultants and junior doctors.

“We are concerned for their safety and the safety of their spouses and children,” it said. on Twitter.

Several other countries, including France, the Netherlands and Italy, have also initiated evacuations of their citizens.

MP Alicia Kearns, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Task Force, said the evacuation of British diplomats and their families was “a massive operation and an incredibly complex evacuation”.

She told the BBC’s Newshour that she does not know how many British citizens may be stranded in Sudan, but she imagines they are feeling “extreme fear”.

How have you been affected by what is happening in Sudan? Email me haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

If you would like to speak to a BBC journalist, please provide their contact number. You can also contact us by:

If you are reading this page and do not see the form, please visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment, or email HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with your submission.