Sudan starts evacuation of its nationals in Juba
July 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – A higher committee for following- up the situations of the Sudanese nationals in Juba has announced the start of evacuation process as of Friday, citing the deterioration of security concerns in the neighbouring country .
Last Monday, a Sudanese technical evacuation committee urged the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir to issue a decision to evacuate the Sudanese nationals from South Sudan.
The committee announced that more than 2000 Sudanese nationals have registered their names in the Sudanese embassy in Juba demanding to return home voluntarily.
The Secretary General of the Sudanese Expatriates Affairs Organ, Haj Magid Siwar, expected the launch of three flights per day to evacuate Sudanese from Juba.
Siwar said that there are thousands of Sudanese nationals in Juba working mainly in the trade business.
The head of communities and migration department at the Sudanese Expatriates Affairs Organ Al-Rahid Abd al-Latif said in a press statement that the first batch consists of 257 people.
Abd al-Latif said that the chargé d’affaires at the Sudanese embassy in Juba Osama Abdel Bari affirmed completion of coordination with all the concerned bodies.
Abd al-Latif quoted the chargé d’affaires as saying that the guarantees necessary for the arrival of the Sudanese nationals in Juba to the airport have been arranged. He added that priority would be given to the families and children and the elderly.
Abd al-Latif has earlier said that the number of the Sudanese nationals in South Sudan is around 50.000 persons, among them 3000 facing difficult situations and willing to return home.
He added that some of the Sudanese nationals in Juba went to the house of the ambassador, seeking protection during the recent clashes.
In the meantime, the political sector of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) held exceptional meeting on Thursday to discuss the developments of the situations in South Sudan.
The meeting gave directives to the NCP organizations secretariat to coordinate the efforts of the national organizations in order to receive the returnees, the refugees and those who flee the fighting in South Sudan and providing with the needed support.
(ST)