Following The US, Britain Evacuates Diplomats And Families From War Locations In Khartoum Sudan

Illustration of conditions in Sudan. (Wikimedia Commons/Osama Eid)

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that British diplomats and their families had been evacuated from Sudan in an operation. Defense Minister Ben Wallace, reported by the BBC on Sunday, April 23, said refugees were taken to an airfield outside Khartoum to fly overseas overnight. The war broke out last week and brought together two forces in Sudan. The power struggle between Sudan's regular army and paramilitary forces called the Rapid Supporting Forces (RSF). Foreign Minister James Cleanly added that his party worked around the clock to seek international support and end the bloodshed in Sudan. Regarding the evacuation of diplomats in Sudan, Cleanly said his party received threats. Cleanly acknowledged that the government's ability to evacuate other British nationals was very limited until fighting between the warring parties stopped. Britain's move follows the evacuation of US diplomats in the early hours of Sunday. Britain's defense minister thanked France and the US for their assistance. Several other countries including France, the Netherlands, and Italy have also begun to evacuate their citizens.

Speaking to the BBC, Ben Wallace added, the evacuation of British diplomatic staff was complicated because the embassy was located between the headquarters of two warring factions in the capital, Khartoum. He added that small children were among those evacuated.