Britons remain trapped in war-torn Sudan after evacuating British diplomats

British diplomats have been evacuated from war-torn Sudan in a “complex and rapid” evacuation.

The African country is currently in its second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces.

Diplomats from the United States and France were evacuated this week after news of the killing of aid workers and attacks on diplomats.

The Sudanese military said today that foreign diplomats should leave as soon as possible and promised to help with the evacuation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the work of the armed forces and confirmed that there were still British nationals in Sudan. Threats against embassy personnel

“I commend the efforts of our diplomats and the courage of the military who carried out this difficult operation.

“We will continue to do everything we can to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals who remain in the country.

“I call on the parties to lay down their arms and establish an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure that civilians can evacuate conflict zones.”

However, there are still British nationals in Sudan, one of whom told Sky News that he had not heard from the embassy about the evacuation.

Persons without a diplomatic passport could not board evacuation flights.

When asked if he was getting the help he needed, William, who has been in Sudan for six years, said: “No, we’re not getting any help at all.

“The latest message from the State Department through their travel advice website was the same number as some kind of psychological support, nothing more.

The rest was “nothing we can do, stay where you are” as if we had a choice.

“I don’t think there are words for it [how worried I am]. I’m not young, this is by far, by a factor of 10, the worst situation I’ve ever been in.

William added that while sitting in his living room, he could hear gunshots about two miles away.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said diplomatic efforts to support British nationals trapped in Sudan are currently “severely curtailed”.

When asked why diplomats were given priority, he said: “The diplomats working at the British Embassy in Khartoum were unable to carry out their duties because of the violence in that city.

“To fulfill our duty to protect her and her employer, we are moving her to other embassies in the region.

“To continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be strengthening our teams in the region.

“This follows the pattern we have seen from our international friends and colleagues.

“We will continue our diplomatic efforts to end this conflict quickly, as until then we are severely limited in our ability to assist British nationals.”

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF).

Wallace said: “This morning British troops carried out a military operation in conjunction with the United States, France and other allies.

“They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their families from Khartoum due to escalating threats against diplomats.

“The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from the 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners.’

Meanwhile, the Irish government has announced it will send a team to Sudan to evacuate Irish citizens.

There are about 150 Irish nationals in the country.

Initially, up to 12 emergency services will be sent to Djibouti as part of an ECAT (Civil Assistance Team) mission.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “Personnel of the Irish Defense Forces and Foreign Office guest officers will do everything they can to provide advice and assistance to the approximately 150 Irish nationals in the Sudan.

“The situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and I wish the Ecat team and the armed forces the best of luck in this mission.”

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