President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has disclosed that the presidency is worried over thousands of its citizens stuck in troubled Sudan due to the dangers posed to air travel in the North African country.
The clashes have also displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum, as the violence, which started on April 8, entered its 15th day on Sunday.
The Nigerian government Saturday said all airports and land borders in Sudan were closed as the emergency situation in the country was very complex with ongoing fighting between warring factions.
It, however, stated that a search and rescue committee had been established to come up with the safest way of evacuating Nigerians stranded in the troubled nation.
The government disclosed this through the National Emergency Management Agency, stressing that it was aware of the widespread public concern about the situation in Sudan.
Presidency raises concerns
Speaking on the incident Sunday via his Twitter handle, Shehu wrote: “Nigerian government has been having sleepless nights following the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
“Our officials are doing a lot, coordinating with the Embassy in Khartoum, the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments trying to ensure the safety of the large number of our citizens there.
“Nigerian government has been having sleepless nights following the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
“Minister Geoffrey Onyeama who is coordinating these efforts is optimistic that they will start moving people to safety as soon as possible.
“Watch the Minister explain what they are doing on Channels TV this evening.”
The conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, has claimed over 400 lives with about 3,500 injured.
The clashes have also displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum, as the violence, which started on April 8, entered its 15th day on Sunday.
Until recently, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel al-Burhan, and the RSF paramilitary group, headed by General Mohamed Dagalo, were allies.
They worked together in 2019 in a popular uprising that overthrew Sudan’s brutal dictator, Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades.
Yoruba students seek S/west govs’ intervention
Meanwhile, Nigerian students of the Yoruba extraction trapped in Sudan have sought the help of the South-West governors for their evacuation.
The students under the aegis of Yoruba Students’ Union, Sudan, sought in particular, the intervention of South-West governors in their home country on their possible evacuation from Sudan.
The Executive Council of the union said this in a statement Saturday.
“Peace be unto you. On behalf of the Yoruba Students Union in Sudan, we urgently call on the Federal Government and South-West governors to kindly come to our aid in respect to the ongoing crisis in Sudan which has now turned to a survival mode due to the intense civil war of more than a week.” The students begged.
Crying for help, the students said, “We are appealing to the South-West governors to collaborate with the Federal Government in our possible evacuation from this war.”
The students said air evacuation had become impossible due to the destruction of the airport, adding “only land evacuation is possible to neighbouring countries like Ethiopia or Djibouti, as seen by other nationals doing.”
