“The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries,” the state-run Al-Ekhbariya television said.
A boat carrying Saudi Arabia citizens and other nationals rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi state television said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began.
“The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries,” the state-run Al-Ekhbariya television said.
SaharaReporters earlier today reported that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government said the evacuation of Nigerians in war-ravaged Sudan was not possible at the moment.
Over 4000 trapped Nigerians in the ongoing crisis in Sudan have been begging to be evacuated.
Also, over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a statement on Friday, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa had said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tense situation made it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time.
The statement which was signed by Gabriel Odu of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM, had quoted Dabiri-Erewa as noting that Aircraft parked at the Airport in the country were burnt on Friday morning.
She said humanitarian groups were seeking ways of getting food, water and medicals across to people.
Meanwhile, in the Saudi Arabian evacuation, the boat docked at the Red Sea port of Jeddah where four other ships carrying 108 people from 11 different countries were expected to arrive later from Sudan, the broadcaster said.
It aired footage of large vessels arriving in Jeddah’s port, and also released a video showing women and children carrying Saudi flags on board one of the ships.
Those who have arrived in Jeddah include the crew of a Saudi passenger plane that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the start of the fighting on April 15, according to Saudi state TV.
A convoy of vehicles carried the evacuees to Port Sudan from where they boarded ships to Jeddah, according to the Saudi broadcaster.
Hundreds have died due to the battles between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital Saturday morning, according to witnesses.