208 individuals including; 202 Ugandans, two Sudanese, three Tanzanians and one Zimbabwean married to a Ugandan have finally been rescued from Khartoum, the fighting center of the Sudan civil war.
Sources among those travelling told this publication that they are out of Khartoum, heading to Gondar airport, in Ethiopia where they will board a plane to Uganda.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Ambassador, the evacuees boarded four buses from the Embassy in Khartoum on Sunday.
These include among others diplomats, students and members of the working community.
“First, I thank the Almighty God for delivering the Ugandan evacuees through the risky area. I also thank H.E. President Yoweri Museveni, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Secretary and the gallant Embassy Staff, particularly, Brig Gen Karara, Mr David Wamono and the Director General, External Security Organisation (ESO), Ambassador Joseph Ecwet, in a special way,” Uganda’s Ambassador to Sudan, Dr Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, said on Monday morning.
“Special commendations go out to Gen. Katumba Wamala, my colleagues, the Ambassadors from Uganda and elsewhere and staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who have rendered support in various ways.
The evacuees are now heading home, first across the border of Ethiopia. We shall keep the country updated about the progress of the movement of the Evacuees”, he added
It will take an approximate 12 hours and 45 minutes for the evacuees to travel a 761 km journey from Khartoum to Gondar.
These are expected to fly back to Uganda from Gandor airport, located some 935km North West of Addis Ababa.
“This was a special arrangement following a directive by H.E. President Yoweri Museveni,” said Dr Ssemuddu.
This indicates that about 100 Ugandans are not part of the evacuees, after government last week announced 300 Ugandans were trapped in Sudan.
In a statement, Dr Ssemuddu said the group that is not traveling via Ethiopia are patients admitted at Salaam Hospital, Khartoum, individuals stuck in various states, but who had earlier indicated their readiness to travel and some who preferred to stay back.
Others are individuals who left Sudan through a UN convoy via Port Sudan and through South Sudan.
“A comprehensive assessment of persons who are still in Sudan will be made and communication about their status relayed to the country,” he said
An estimated 300 Ugandans are understood to have been in Sudan at the outbreak of the hostilities, April 15, 2023, following clashes between the Sudan Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
Dr Ssemuddu said the Embassy turned down an offer from the UN to evacuate diplomats, preferring to wait for an arrangement that covered all Ugandan nationals who would be willingness to leave the country.
“We have seen big countries which only evacuated its diplomats. But with support from H.E the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy staff, we made it happen,” he said.
Uganda joins over two dozen countries that have successfully evacuated their nationals from Ethiopia, since a 72hr truce was announced last week that got underway effective April 21, 2023.
While the ceasefire has not been fully observed by the belligerent forces, as skirmishes were reported in major flash points of Khartoum and other areas, this hasn’t stopped countries from evacuating their citizens.
The United States led the way, evacuating about 100 of its citizens, drawing on its mighty military assets in the region, mainly the regional base in Djibouti, with support from the governments of Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia.
Other countries that have successfully evacuated their citizens include: France, Italy, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.
The Italy/ Spanish evacuation mission helped evacuate citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Mexico, Venezuela and Sudan.
