Khartoum State orders foreign nationals to leave

July 11, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Authorities in Khartoum state issued a two-week deadline on Thursday for foreign nationals to leave the state, which has been experiencing near-daily clashes since the outbreak of war.

Suspicion towards foreigners has increased following the involvement of individuals from Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, and Niger in fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the army, particularly in sniping and artillery shelling.

Social media pages aligned with the army frequently share videos of foreigners apprehended during clashes with the RSF.

Colonel Nizar Khalil, Director of the Foreigners and Immigration Control Department in Khartoum State in Khartoum state gave all foreigners “15 days to leave Khartoum state to safeguard their lives during the war period.”

He indicated that the decision was made based on the directives of the Khartoum State Security Coordination Committee.

The army controls the Karari locality and some neighbourhoods of old Omdurman, while Khartoum and Khartoum Bahri are under the control of the RSF, except for the headquarters and bases of the armed forces.

On July 8th, the River Nile state in northern Sudan detained over 150 foreigners on the grounds of not possessing official residence documents, as part of a campaign to control foreigners that began in the Gedaref state in the east of the country.

Before the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, Sudan hosted over a million refugees, most of whom resided within cities. The country also serves as a transit point for illegal migration to Europe from West African countries.

(ST)