111 Indonesian Citizens Flown From Sudan To Jeddah Today, The Next Repatriation To The Country Will Be Carried Out Tomorrow And The Day After Tomorrow

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono welcomed Indonesian citizens who were evacuated from Sudan at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Infomed/Abi)

JAKARTA - Hundreds of Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are still in Sudan will be flown to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia today, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi Friday, with repatriation to Indonesia to be carried out tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

"As of now, only 111 Indonesian citizens are still in Port Sudan. Today they will be flown to Jeddah on an Indonesian Air Force plane," Foreign Minister Retno explained in a press statement with National Armr (TNI) Commander Admiral TNI Yudo Margono when welcoming Indonesian citizens from Sudan to Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Friday, April 28.

This is the arrival of the first stage in the homeland of Indonesian citizens who were evacuated from Sudan via Jeddah. As previously stated, continued Foreign Minister Retno, the repatriation of the evacuation from Sudan to Indonesia will be carried out in stages.

"According to the plan, the second phase of repatriation to Indonesia will be carried out on April 29, arriving in Indonesia on April 30. And the third stage of repatriation, as well as closing the entire evacuation process, will be carried out on April 30 using an Indonesian Air Force aircraft," said Foreign Minister Retno.

As previously reported, the Garuda Indonesia aircraft with flight number GA991 carrying 385 Indonesian citizens, consisting of 248 women and 137 men, 43 of them children, arrived safely at 05:46 a.m. of Western Indonesian Time (WIB) at Soetta Airport, Tangerang.

Foreign Minister Retno said the evacuation process this time was carried out using a relay evacuation pattern, starting with the evacuation by road from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Then from Port Sudan to Jeddah, either by sea or by air and then returned in stages to Indonesia.