News24.com | 'We are in survival mode,' says South African holed up in compound in Khartoum as clashes continue in Sudan

A building was damaged during battles between the forces of two rival Sudanese generals in the southern part of Khartoum.

• South Africans trapped in Sudan say they have not been receiving sufficient communication from the South African government.
• The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it is exploring all options to evacuate expats in Sudan.
• Conflict-ridden Sudan has suffered a "near-total" internet blackout.

South African nationals trapped in Sudan have expressed their disappointment at the lack of communication and assistance from the government in evacuating them.

The conflict-ridden country has suffered a "near-total" internet blackout.

Expat Ash Ramraj told News24 the conditions he and his colleagues were living under in Sudan were unbearable.

Ramraj left South Africa on 11 March for work.

However, after clashes erupted across Sudan, he said it felt as if the South African government had left them to fend for themselves.

"We have just received a request for a meeting point, which is a two-and-a-half-hour walk, from where we are because we cannot get transportation.

"For us to leave the building is impossible, because there are gunshots everywhere. There are about 10 dead bodies lying outside of our building, that's how bad it is," he said.

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"In my building, there are a few expats from South Africa, the UK and even Kenya. We are all trying to get out of here."

Ramraj told News24 the compound where he is based is close the presidential palace in Khartoum.

He added they were running out of food, supplies and even power.

"We haven't had power since Wednesday, we rely on generator power for two hours a day, just to keep the water pumps running and essentials, to charge our phones. We are in survival mode now," Ramraj said.

"It has been like this for the past two days, and it has been going on non-stop - the bombings and shots going on non-stop across the buildings.

"The most disappointing thing about this is that this war has been going on for about eight days.

"Our embassy asked us yesterday evening at about 17:30 to give each of our locations. There are about 50 to 60 South Africans here in Sudan, how do they expect each and every one of us here to get out of here, because we're all in different locations?"

READ | 'Near-total' internet blackout in Sudan as battle rages on

He added there had been no clear communication from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and South African Embassy.

"They are putting us at risk by asking to get to their meeting point without an escort and guidance, and we do not have any Sudanese interpreters.

"The SA government just doesn't care about us; they are expecting us to make our own plans.

"The ambassador hasn't issued us any reassurance, and the president of our country hasn't even reached out to us to issue well wishes to the guys to be safe or give us some support and let us know that our country is behind us."

Ramraj said he was "very, very disappointed", and distraught.

He thanked the Gift of the Givers for staying in touch and offering its support to South Africans in Sudan.

According to department spokesperson Clayson Monyela, there was no update on evacuating South Africans stuck in Sudan.

"We do not have an update - it's basically what we have said before that we have a plan to evacuate. It is just that the difficulty is that the fighting is ongoing, but we are exploring all available options," Monyela said.

"Despite the airport being closed and the fighting continuing, we are talking to role players in the UN and other countries to see how we can get our people out."

Responding to claims on whether an SA National Defence Force (SANDF) team was on its way to Sudan, he added he was not at liberty to disclose security plans publicly.

SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said they was responsible for conducting evacuations when the need arose, however, he was not able to give News24 a response to questions surrounding evacuations in Sudan.