2023-04-24 00:00:59
Time.news – “After a day of anxious waiting, all our compatriots in Sudan who asked to leave were evacuated. There are also foreign nationals with them. Italy leaves no one behind”. This was stated by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
“I want to thank – adds the premier – all those who participated in this very difficult operation, in the middle of a combat zone, my applause goes to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and to the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina, to Defense Minister Guido Crosetto , to Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, to the Chief of Defense Staff, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, to the COVI commander, General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, to our ambassador in Sudan, Michele Tommasi, to the Security Services. my appeal at the end of the warat the opening of negotiations leading to a civilian government, Sudan needs peace”.
The first of two Italian Air Force C-130s departed from Khartoum, in Sudan, to Djibouti with the Italians evacuated from the country together with citizens of other countries who will use the Italian flights.
The group of our compatriots will arrive in Italy on Monday. This was confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. “We are evacuating all the Italian citizens – he explained – who have asked to leave Sudan, and this thanks to the collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Intelligence, and also thanks to the talks we had with the leaders of the two opposing factions. The Prime Minister is constantly informed and we count, if things go the right way, to have our compatriots in Italy on Monday”.
Crosetto: 107 Italians are already in Djibouti
“We are evacuating our compatriots from Sudan thanks to the effort and professionalism of our Armed Forces. The first 107 Italians aboard one of our C130s have just landed at Djibouti at 22.00 Italian time, 7 had already arrived a few hours earlier and another 40 are returning on an aircraft in collaboration with the Spanish armed forces. All Italian civilians were evacuated to Djibouti where a refreshment area was set up awaiting their subsequent return to Italy. Tomorrow a C130 will bring back to Djibouti our ambassador in Sudan and the commander of the Extraction force that implemented the operation”. This was announced by the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto. “Thanks to the commitment of our Air Force and our special forces of the army, navy and carabinieri – continues the minister – The operations continue until the complete safety of all Italians. Everything happens in the closest cooperation with our European partners. I want to express the gratitude of the government and of the whole nation to the Joint Operational Command and to the soldiers who are carrying out this delicate and risky mission”.
All the Italians have gone: the last plane with the ambassador and military personnel took off from Khartoum and will land in Djibouti during the night, thus completing the evacuation operation. This is what is learned from Defense sources.
Save all the Italians who have asked to leave
The Foreign Minister then specified on Twitter: “All the Italians who have asked to leave Sudan are safe and flying to Djibouti. I am proud of the teamwork that led to the success of this delicate and complex operation of evacuation. I thank the military, intelligence and diplomacy”
All the Italians who have asked to start from #Sudan I’m safe and flying to Djibouti. I am proud of the teamwork that led to the success of this delicate and complex evacuation operation. I thank the military, intelligence and diplomacy.
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani)
April 23, 2023
The Italian embassy in Khartoum has been evacuated
“The rapid support forces have evacuated with success 41 Italian citizens and embassy staff from Khartoum this evening”, the Sudanese paramilitaries wrote on twitter.
“The mission was carried out with the utmost professionalism and efficiency, ensuring safety and security. RSF’s swift action is a testament to our commitment to protecting citizens in times of crisis.”
In Sudan, despite a truce agreed between the parties, fighting between the army and paramilitaries continues and the situation in the capital is very dangerous. A French was wounded during the evacuation operations of the embassy. This was reported by the support forces, a paramilitary organization, of Sudan, through a tweet. According to the reconstruction, the RFS would have been attacked by planes during the evacuation this morning, along the road from Bahri to Omdurman.
Rapid Support Forces successfully evacuated 41 Italian citizens and embassy staff from Khartoum on Sunday evening. The mission was executed with utmost professionalism and efficiency, ensuring safety and security. The RSF’s swift action is a testament to our commitment to protect… pic.twitter.com/B1eQJXGbYa
— Rapid Support Forces – Rapid Support Forces (@RSFSudan)
April 23, 2023
The EU calls for an immediate ceasefire
The High Representative of theEuropean Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Joseph Borrellasked a “immediate ceasefire” to those responsible for the clashes between the army and the rapid support forces (RSF) in Sudan. The head of European diplomacy spoke today with the head of the Sudanese army, Abdelfatah Al Burhan, and with the leader of the paramilitary group Mohamed Hamdan Give it “Hemedti”.
“I spoke to General Abdelfatah Al Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to call for an immediate ceasefire. I also insisted on the need to protect civilians and ensure the safe evacuation of European citizens,” Borrell said.
First aircraft to depart from France
A hundred French and other nationals have already been evacuated from Sudan by France and a hundred more are expected to follow shortly, but the operations are extremely complex. Sources from the foreign and defense ministries in Paris made it known. “A first plane has already left Khartoum and should arrive in Djibouti at 6pm, while a second plane should take off around 5.30pm”, according to the ministries. There are about 100 people on both flights, for a total of 200 citizens, not only French. The operations, it is announced, are “extremely complex” and could still last a day or two.
Germany also begins the evacuation of citizens
Germany has also begun the evacuation of German citizens from Sudan. As explained by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense. Berlin is conducting “an evacuation operation in coordination with our partners,” both said on Twitter.
“Our goal is to take away from Khartoum as many citizens as possible in this dangerous situation in Sudan. Within our possibilities, we will also take citizens of the European Union and other countries with us”, they added. Several other countries have also begun to evacuate their citizens from Sudan: among others, Italy, Great Britain, France and the United States.
According to the weekly Der Spiegel, Germany stopped an evacuation attempt last Wednesday. Three military transport planes, which were supposed to carry around 150 German nationals, headed for the country but were forced to turn back.
The Bild newspaper reported that the German government is planning two missions with A400M military aircraft and that paratroopers have been sent to Jordan to provide support; during the bailouts, the contenders will respect a truce.
US diplomats leave Khartoum
Among the Khartoum embassies that have already been evacuated is the American one. This was confirmed overnight by Joe Biden, who had previously said it was not “safe” to proceed with theevacuation of US diplomats present in the capital. But the operations had already started, not without difficulties, even if General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, currently the country’s leader, had promised yesterday morning to facilitate the evacuation operations of diplomats and citizens of Great Britain, China, France and United States.
The American embassy, however, raised the alert level “due to a situation of uncertainty in the capital Karthum and the closure of the airport”. Sudan’s FSR, paramilitary forces, said overnight that they are helping US troops evacuate Washington’s embassy in the capital Khartoum.
Embassies empty
“The Rapid Support Forces Command coordinated with the US Forces Mission made up of 6 planes, to evacuate the diplomats and their families on Sunday morning”, reads a tweet from the paramilitary group, which has been fighting the regular Sudanese army for a week in a conflict that has already killed hundreds of people.
Other countries are also moving to bring home diplomatic personnel present in Sudan. A spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry said it could not confirm the transfer French diplomats and citizens. Same position expressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs British. The statements confirm the signs of confusion and tension that are currently prevalent in Sudan, which plunged into internal conflict on April 15 between two factions competing for control of the country.
Civilian victims of the fighting
At least four hundred people have been killed so far in fights. Of these, 256 were civilians. An unknown number of inhabitants of Karthum left the capital, subjected to bombing, to find refuge in the suburbs or in neighboring states. More than fifteen thousand people have moved to Chad. Humanitarian organizations have declared that they are no longer able to operate in Sudan due to the conflict.
Me too’Chinese embassy in Sudan it has begun to organize the evacuation of its citizens residing in the African country. In a short message published on its official website, the legation in Khartoum asked Chinese citizens to fill out a form on the same day indicating whether they wish to be evacuated from the country. “Please continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain a high level of alert, strengthen security precautions and ensure your personal safety,” the Chinese embassy added.
Internet blackout
In Sudan shaken by violent fighting between regular troops and RSF paramilitaries there is an “almost total” Internet blackout. This was reported by NetBlocks, a London-based organization that monitors web access around the world. “Live network data shows a almost total collapse of internet connectivity in Sudan with national connectivity now at 2% of ordinary levels”.
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