Baghdad to evacuate more Iraqis stranded in Sudan
An airplane evacuating people from Sudan. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that it will operate a flight on Friday to evacuate Iraqi citizens stranded in Sudan.
The spokesperson of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Ahmed Al-Sahaf, mentioned in a statement that the step follows directives issued by the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, to help Iraqis stranded in Sudan, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
Al-Sahhaf explained that the Foreign Ministry previously evacuated 640 Iraqis, including dozens of Sudanese and Syrians, in three flights in the past months.
The Iraqi authorities announced in mid-May the evacuation of 429 Iraqi citizens from Sudan, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry explained that two planes evacuated Iraqis in Sudan on April 27, and a third Iraqi plane evacuated the rest of the Iraqis in Sudan on May 12.
The step followed the announcement of the ‘Jeddah Declaration,’ signed last May by the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces to protect civilians affected by the armed conflict ongoing since mid-April.
The agreement focused on the withdrawal of military forces from hospitals and service facilities, opening safe corridors for the exit of civilians from conflict areas, and bringing humanitarian aid to the capital and conflict-affected areas.
The continuous battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces prompted many countries to increase their efforts to evacuate their nationals or diplomatic missions by land, sea, and air.
Since April 15, violent clashes have been taking place between the Sudanese army forces and the Rapid Support Forces in separate areas of Sudan, most of which are concentrated in the capital, Khartoum.