Foreigners airlifted out as Sudanese seek refuge

Locals, Egyptians, other foreigners risking dangerous drive to northern border

As foreign governments airlifted hundreds of their diplomats and other citizens from Sudan, the Sudanese, on Monday, desperately sought ways to escape the chaos amid fears the country’s two rival generals could escalate their all-out battle for power once evacuations were completed.

Many Sudanese, along with Egyptians and other foreigners who could not get on flights, risked the long and dangerous drive to the northern border into Egypt. Buses lined up at the remote Arqin border crossing with Egypt carrying hundreds of people. “But many of our friends are still trapped,” Egyptian student Suliman al-Kouni said.

Prominent Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abual-Ala wrote on Facebook that his mother, siblings and nephews “are on the road from Sudan to Cairo through Aswan.” 

The exodus began with American special operations forces swooping in and out of Khartoum in helicopters early Sunday to evacuate US Embassy personnel. France evacuated nearly 400 people—including citizens from 28 countries—on four flights to the nearby Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. A Dutch air force C-130 Hercules flew out of Sudan to Jordan in the early hours of Monday, carrying evacuees of various nationalities too.

Also read: Governments race to rescue diplomats, citizens from Sudan

Germany has so far conducted three flights out of Sudan, bringing more than 300 people out. Italy, Spain, Jordan and Greece have also brought out several hundreds, including their own citizens. Although American officials said it was too dangerous for a government-coordinated evacuation of thousands of private US citizens, other countries scrambled to remove their citizens. Agencies
        
10,000
No. of Egyptian nationals stuck in Sudan

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