More South Africans being evacuated from Sudan: Dirco

The department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) has confirmed that another two buses ferrying South Africans being evacuated from war-torn Sudan have arrived safely in Egypt. 

“We have officials from the South African embassy in Egypt to receive them and facilitate their entry into Egypt. The SA government will pay for their flights back to South Africa,”  head of public diplomacy at Dirco Clayson Monyela said in a tweet on Tuesday.

“The support of everyone, including Gift of the Givers and the government of Egypt, is acknowledged and appreciated.”  

He said another 12 South Africans would leave Sudan on Tuesday and that the government would ensure all South Africans in the northeast African country who it was aware of were accounted for. 

South African authorities began with the evacuation of 77 South Africans living in Sudan on Monday.

The first group of 38 South Africans, including all diplomatic staff, arrived in Egypt earlier on Tuesday from Khartoum, with seven Angolans. 

Head of Gift of the Givers Imtiaz Sooliman said it has been a roller-coaster of fear, anxiety, terror, uncertainty, panic and sadness for South Africans, foreign nationals and local inhabitants caught up in the hostilities. Gift of the Givers is working with South African authorities to evacuate South Africans from Sudan.