FG making arrangements to evacuate students, citizens — Abike Dabiri-Erewa

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), says the commission is making arrangements to evacuate citizens from Sudan.

This was contained in a statement by Mr Gabriel Odu, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM in Abuja.

Dabiri-Erewa said the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had put in place arrangements for the evacuation of students and citizens stranded in Sudan.

She said that the tense situation in Sudan made it “risky and impossible for any flights to leave at this point in time”.

The NIDCOM Boss explained that aircrafts parked at the airport were burnt down.

She also said humanitarian groups were seeking ways of getting food, water and medical supplies across to people.

She appealed to the warring parties to consider the Juba Peace Agreement pronounced by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

She said the agreement was a fundamental mechanism for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the warring country.

Sudan’s military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Thursday separately announced a 24-hour ceasefire but hostilities continued past the deadline.

However, the intensity reportedly dropped significantly on Saturday morning.

The Sudan conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan.

It began on 15 April 2023, when clashes broke out across the country, mainly in the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region.

Fighting has intensified around the capital’s airport, closing its airspace, and near hospitals, hampering evacuation efforts and treatment of wounded.

Thousands have been injured. Civilians also are struggling with power outages and food shortages.

U.N. relief efforts have also been halted.