Sudanese army evacuates Italian religious from besieged Khartoum suburb

August 6, 2024 (OMDURMAN) – The Sudanese army on Tuesday said it evacuated five Italian nuns, a priest, and 20 South Sudanese civilians from a Khartoum battle zone to the capital’s twin city of Omdurman after they were stranded for over a year.

The group, part of the Salesians of Don Bosco religious congregation, had been residing in Al Shajara, a southern district of Khartoum that has seen heavy fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The army said in a statement that the evacuation was carried out as a “specialized operation” by the armed forces and the General Intelligence Service. The evacuees were taken to Omdurman in preparation for their transfer to Port Sudan, a relatively safe city on the Red Sea coast.

The statement added that the military had been providing the group with essential supplies, including food, medical care, and solar power, during their time in Al Shajara. A previous evacuation attempt by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in December failed after their convoy was attacked, an incident the army blamed on the RSF.

The Al Shajara area, home to key military installations, has been a focal point of the conflict between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April. The RSF has repeatedly tried to seize control of the area, but the army has so far repelled their attacks.