In response to the conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces, Somalia has begun evacuating its citizens who are stranded in Sudan. On Wednesday, eighteen Somalis were successfully evacuated from Buluja, a town near Sudan’s border with South Sudan, and arrived at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport. Abdirahman Nur Dinari, the acting permanent secretary of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his gratitude to the Somali embassies in Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia for their efforts in evacuating citizens.
Similarly, Kenya and Djibouti have also started evacuating their citizens from Sudan. Kenya is working to evacuate around 400 students, while Djibouti is evacuating its diplomatic staff and citizens. According to reports, around 500 more Somalis are expected to arrive in Mogadishu on Wednesday as the Somali government continues to evacuate its citizens following a recent ceasefire announcement.
The three-day ceasefire aims to establish humanitarian corridors, allowing citizens and residents to access essential resources, healthcare, and safe zones while diplomatic missions are evacuated.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) has set up 24-hour hotlines to help stranded Somalis report their locations and ease the evacuation process.
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UK, France, and Germany, have also conducted evacuation efforts. Saudi Arabia has rescued 1,687 civilians from over 50 countries fleeing violence in Sudan, while the UK, France, and Germany have also conducted successful evacuation efforts.