Canada halts Sudan air evacuations amid ‘dangerous conditions’
As the violence in Sudan escalates, there are no further air evacuations planned for Canadians in the conflict-ridden African nation, Defence Minister Anita Anand has said.
“The situation remains volatile, dangerous and unpredictable,” she said during a news conference Sunday, confirming Global News reporting Saturday evening that no more Canadian military planes were planned to carry out more evacuations.
“Because of the dangerous conditions and in concert with decisions made by our allies, no further Canadian flights are planned from the Wadi Seidna airfield and Canadian Armed Forces personnel are clear of the airfield,” Anand said.
Sources told Global News Saturday that the focus was now turning to departures via land and sea.
This comes after a senior military leader warned late last week that the window for air evacuations was rapidly closing as the situation on the ground continued to deteriorate.
On Saturday, two Canadian military planes evacuated people to a third country.
Since Thursday, six Canadian flights have airlifted evacuees out of Sudan.
Today, two more @CanadianForces evacuation flights departed from Sudan to bring people to safety in a third country. We will continue to do our utmost to assist Canadians in Sudan who require departure assistance, as conditions allow.
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) April 30, 2023
Sources tell Global News that Canadians looking to leave Sudan could now possibly depart by coordinated road moves run by the United States.
Canada is also looking at beefing up its presence in the Port of Sudan, roughly a 12-hour drive away from the capital of Khartoum. Canada already has naval capabilities there and it has been a key location other countries have used to evacuate their citizens.
From the port, evacuees would travel to Saudi Arabia on an arduous 24-hour boat ride.
So far, roughly 400 Canadians and permanent residents have been evacuated on Canadian military planes and allied aircrafts.
As of Sunday morning, approximately 230 Canadians still remain in Sudan seeking assistance and information from Global Affairs Canada, said Anand.
“Our work is not done and the Government of Canada is providing consular assistance through Global Affairs Canada and working with allies to find possible ways for those who wish to depart Sudan,” she said.
In recent weeks, Sudan has been racked by fighting between the military and a rival paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are locked in a power struggle threatening to destabilize the wider region. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and thousands of others wounded.
Some of the deadliest battles have raged across Khartoum.
The generals, both with powerful foreign backers, were allies in an October 2021 military coup that halted Sudan’s fitful transition to democracy, but they have since turned on each other.
Ordinary Sudanese have been caught in the crossfire. Tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad and Egypt, while others remain pinned down with dwindling supplies. Thousands of foreigners have been evacuated in airlifts and land convoys.
On Sunday, fighting continued in different parts of the capital where residents hiding in their homes reported hearing artillery fire. There have been lulls in fighting, but never a fully observed cease-fire, despite repeated attempts by international mediators.
— with files from The Associated Press
by Global News
