Zim Evacuates Nationals From Sudan

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Zimbabwean Government has started repatriating Zimbabweans that
have been caught up in the Sudanese armed conflict which has resulted
in the death of over 400 civilians and maimed 3 551 others.

Zimbabwe has dozens of its citizens resident in Sudan and many have
indicated their desire to return home.

There is conflict in the African country between the Sudanese army and
the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.

The first batch of returnees was expected Friday night in Harare with
the second and last batch expected Saturday evening.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade said it is closely following the evolving conflict in Sudan.

“The Ministry will be receiving the first group of 44 evacuees from
Sudan at Robert Mugabe Airport Friday and the second group of 21 on
Saturday,” said the ministry.

The returnees are expected to land aboard Emirates from Jeddah.

The closure of airports in Sudan has affected the ability of the
Ministry to urgently assist with the repatriation of Zimbabweans in
fulfilment of its mandate of protecting the interests and safety of
Zimbabwean nationals abroad.

Government has since disbursed a contingency fund to the Embassy to
facilitate the evacuation of people.

Zimbabwe has been having challenges with its citizens in different
countries, some of them illegally and are facing xenophobia and civil
war attacks.

In South Africa thousands of Zimbabweans are expected back home in
June when their temporary permits expire as the neighbouring country
has indicated that it will not renew them.

A number of countries have in the past days been evacuating their
nationals from Sudan as the conflict rages on, amid worrisome fears of
a full-blown civil war in the heavily populated nation of 45 million
people.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021,
when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s
transitional Government and declared a state of emergency.