Britain joined a host of countries to start evacuating its nationals from war-torn Sudan as the rival military factions agreed to a three-day ceasefire in the country, where at least 400 people have been killed in fighting since April 15, Reuters reported.
Britain said military flights would depart from an airfield outside Khartoum, and would be open to those with British passports. Families with children, senior citizens and individuals with medical conditions will be given priority, Reuters reported.
“The government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights,” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted. “I pay tribute to the British Armed Forces, diplomats and Border Force staff,” he further said.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said officials have started contacting British nationals and were providing routes for departure out of the country.
The UK Foreign Office, however, said British nationals should not make their way to the airfield arbitralily unless they were called. It said even though a ceasefire was in place, the situation remained volatile, meaning the ability to conduct evacuations could change at short notice.
Around 4,000 UK citizens are thought to be in Sudan and 2,000 of them have already requested help, BBC quoted Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell as saying.
READ | Sudan Forces Agree To 72-Hour Ceasefire From Today As Foreigners Are Evacuated
On Sunday, the UK airlifted only diplomats and their families out of Sudan in a military operation even as the Sunak government faced severe backlash from British citizens stuck in the country for not rescuing them.
The fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group called Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left thousands of foreigners, including diplomats and aid workers in the country, stranded. This has led to several nations like US, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states closing their embassies and working to evacuate their nationals.
Evacuations are being made by air and via the Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which is about 500 miles northeast of Khartoum by road. However, with most major airports becoming battlegrounds, the rescue operations are facing hurdles.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese citizens and those from neighbouring countries, have fled due to the conflict.
