Egypt urges citizens to leave Sudan amidst escalating conflict

CAIRO, Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged its citizens to swiftly depart Sudan due to escalating clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

The ministry issued a statement on Wednesday emphasizing the need for all Egyptian nationals, regardless of their location in Sudan, including areas not directly affected by the violence, to leave the country as soon as possible.

The statement further advised Egyptian nationals to refrain from travelling to Sudan altogether at this time to ensure their safety.

The ministry’s call for evacuation comes on the heels of the Egyptian embassy in Sudan’s successful rescue of 18 students and their family members who were stranded in the city of Wad Madani, the latest hotspot for clashes between the two rival forces.

The embassy, in coordination with the Sudanese authorities, facilitated the students’ evacuation from Wad Madani, their safe arrival at the Egyptian Consulate in Port Sudan, and their subsequent travel back to Egypt.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s urgent recommendation to leave Sudan stems from the ongoing armed confrontations between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which have resulted in numerous casualties.

In the meantime, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemetti”, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Addis Ababa today, Thursday.

Abiy and Hemetti discussed the ongoing conflict in Sudan and explored potential avenues for resolving the crisis, which has persisted since mid-April.

” Earlier today I received Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and his delegation for a discussion on securing peace and stability in the Sudan,” said the Ethiopian prime minister after the meeting in a short post released on X.

Hemetti offered no public remarks following the meeting with Abiy.

This visit falls within the scope of Hemetti’s international efforts to articulate his perspective on IGAD’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Sudanese conflict.

He previously met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, on Wednesday.

Hemetti’s foreign trip commenced concurrently with the postponement of a scheduled meeting between himself and Sudanese Army Commander in Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Djibouti.

Following his meeting with President Museveni, Hemetti indicated that he presented his vision for negotiations, ceasefire, and the construction of a Sudanese state founded on “new, just foundations.”