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- There are 77 South Africans stranded amid fighting in Sudan.
- SA's rescue mission, although classified, is at an advanced stage.
- Nigeria is waiting for clearance from Sudanese officials to rescue its citizens.
Seventy-seven South Africans are stranded in Sudan without diesel or electricity and unstable internet connections amid fighting in the capital, Khartoum, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said late on Sunday night.
However, Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela tweeted that the implementation of an evacuation strategy was at an advanced stage.
Those who are stuck in the country bemoaned the limited or lack of communication with South African authorities.
"They've run out of diesel. There's no electricity and therefore poor network coverage," Monyela said.
However, he said they found a way to charge their cellphones while waiting for South African security forces to rescue them.
"Our security agencies are far advanced with the evacuation plan. Fighting hasn't stopped, so it remains a dangerous and risky operation," he added.
Like all countries carrying out rescue missions, South African security forces' evacuation plan is classified.
He said:
Government is doing everything possible to get our nationals out. Without revealing security plans, there's an option that is being implemented.
A WhatsApp chat group was also established for ease of communication between officials, including embassy staff, he said.
Numerous reports indicated that fighting was continuing, despite a call from the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and other regional blocs for a mini ceasefire during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, which mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan.
On Sunday, the Nigerian embassy in Khartoum called for calm and appealed to Nigerian students and others in Sudan to remain indoors while they work on getting Sudanese authorities' approval to commence their evacuation.
In a statement, the embassy said Nigerians should ignore an earlier message in which they were asked to gather in three locations.
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They now have to wait for the final call because "it is still dangerous to embark on a journey towards the borders of Sudan without securing clearance and guarantee from Sudanese authorities".
Eight days ago, fighting broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, resulting in the death of 420 people and the isolation of millions of Sudanese people, without access to essential services.
The US and France were the first countries to send rescue teams.
However, a Frenchman was killed during the operation and the warring factions accused each other of opening fire on the person.
The United Kingdom followed with its evacuation plan, as well as the Netherlands and South Korea.
Germany has also been working on a plan.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
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