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South African nationals evacuated from Sudan (Supplied by DIRCO)
- South African nationals have been safely evacuated from Sudan.
- They are expected to arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
- The South African government also assisted several nationals from SADC countries.
All South Africans who were stuck in conflict-torn Sudan have been safely evacuated, according to Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela.
"Evacuations like this are never easy and face multiple difficulties and frustrations. The South African nationals who were at Port Sudan managed to cross into Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and were received by our consul general and his team who facilitated on-ground support," he said.
He added that those who were evacuated from Khartoum by bus crossed the border into Egypt.
The South Africans are expected to arrive at OR Tambo International Airport at 16:15.
"The government paid for two buses. The Gift of the Givers [Foundation, which was] not on the ground but coordinated with our officials, paid for an extra bus. The government has booked all into hotels in Egypt."
READ: WATCH | Sudan crisis: Don't fall for misleading images and claims on social media
The government will pay for their flight tickets as well, he said.
According to Gift of the Givers Foundation chairperson and founder Imtiaz Sooliman, eight South Africans and an American man and his daughter, who is a also a South African, are on their way to a ferry from the Egyptian border.
"We hope they make the ferry tonight (Saturday night) and from there onwards, to Aswan."
Evacuation of SA nationals from #Sudan...update. We can now confirm that all SA nationals we know of are out of Sudan. Evacuations like this are not easy & face multiple difficulties & frustrations. We appreciate the partnerships & collaboration of Gift of the Givers, countries… pic.twitter.com/vJ8ZHMpGz1
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) April 29, 2023Sooliman thanked the diplomatic staff who travelled for several hours to two different borders, and arranged paperwork.
Monyela added the South African government had also helped several nationals from SADC countries.
On 15 April, clashes broke out between rival military factions in Sudan as a result of a power struggle within the country's military leadership.
Military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, were fighting over the planned integration of Daglo's Rapid Support Forces into the regular army.
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