Sudan to evacuate willing nationals from Yemen amid security fears
March 31, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese official announced that his government will seek to evacuate its nationals who wish to return from Yemen in the coming hours.
Siwar disclosed that the number of Sudanese in Yemen ranges between 4,000 to 4,500 and that a preliminary count of those wishing to return showed that around 2,000 wish to go home.
He said the evacuation plan will take place in the coming hours after completion of arrangements with various parties and said that it will likely be by air as opposed to land or sea.
The official also denied reports of systematic attacks targeting Sudanese in Yemen.
“There are some individual cases of verbal attacks but the Sudanese community enjoys the respect of the Yemeni people,” Siwar said.
It is likely that this evacuation will be coordinated with Saudi government which has enforced a restricted fly zone over Yemen since the start of its military campaign last week.
Siwar said they are in contact with International Organization for Migration (IOM) along with the Yemeni and Saudi Red Crescent to secure the evacuation plan and pointed out that the presidency is following the developments in Yemen with interest and is receiving daily reports on the situation.
Sudan is a member of the Saudi-led military coalition codenamed “Operation Firmness Storm” against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The operation was launched hours after a visit from Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir to Riyadh last Wednesday.
Bashir told al-Masry al-Youm newspaper in Cairo this week that their participation is “symbolic” consisting of 3 Russian Sukhoi-24 fighters and some transport planes.
Bashir also expressed readiness to send an infantry division “if requested to do so” by the Saudis.
Analysts believe that Sudan’s swift decision to join the coalition is part of a wider strategy to mend ties with Arab Gulf states after years of strained relations over Khartoum’s strong ties with Iran.
On Tuesday, Saudi minister for defence Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received a Sudanese official delivering two messages from Bashir delivered by his chief of staff Taha Othman Ahmed al-Hussein, Saudi news agency SPA reported.
The first message was addressed to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the other to the Saudi minister of defense.
SPA said the Saudi official discussed with Hussein the ongoing military operation in Yemen.
(ST)