The envoy advised Nigerians living abroad to always be prepared in case of an emergency to ease their trip.
According to Nura Rimi, Nigeria’s ambassador to Egypt, the Egyptian government has given Nigeria top priority when granting evacuation orders for its citizens from Sudan.
According to Rimi’s statement on Thursday, the achievement was made possible by the two countries’ cordial relations. He talked with the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).
According to NAN, the swift escalation of hostilities between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group Swift Support Forces left hundreds of foreigners, including diplomats and humanitarian aid workers, trapped in Sudan.
He claimed that many countries trusted Egypt’s government and people. Therefore, they decided to evacuate their citizens through Egypt’s southern area.
Rimi pointed out that other countries would not exploit Egypt’s neighbours as a resource because of their instability.
He continued, “Egypt must first weigh the security consequences before assisting the countries requesting permission to withdraw.
Nigerians were given permission to travel through Egypt as soon as was practical. However, it was a difficult decision due to the need for security measures.”
Egypt must safeguard its security, which is why I urged that the conditions and suggestions were offered in good faith.
“Almost all of Egypt’s neighbouring countries are going through some turmoil.
Since no one will want to visit a nation that lacks security, protecting its territorial integrity and safeguarding its security are always crucial.
Even the people will leave the country; he told NAN.
Rimi applauded the Egyptian administration’s sincere efforts to use its border as a priority in allowing the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Sudan.
President Abdelfattah el-Sisi has my sincere thanks for agreeing to open Egypt’s borders to Nigeria.
Nigerians have access to these borders before individuals of other nations.
I came encountered my coworkers, and ambassadors from various countries who were waiting for permission to evacuate their citizens in vehicles.
Nigeria was the first country to acquire this authorization; after that, other countries followed suit.
It is also necessary to thank Amb. Ihab, the Egyptian ambassador to Nigeria, not only assisted in obtaining the authorization but also worked with me to ensure this action was successful.
Rimi said that the Nigerian embassy in Cairo cooperated with its counterpart in Khartoum, Sudan, to plan for the safe evacuation of its people residing there.
His Khartoum colleagues were “overwhelmed,” he said. We consequently dispatched staff employees from Cairo having Sudanese descent to assist with the evacuation.
The ambassador hailed the Nigerian community in Cairo for assisting needy countrymen.
Nigerians in Cairo assisted the victims by giving them food, fruit, and water.
“This exemplifies the spirit of Nigeria. He continued that it is a praiseworthy act in the aftermath of such an emergency.
He encouraged Nigerians living abroad to always be prepared in case of an emergency to make travel easier.
It’s a good idea to always keep your travel documents handy.
“I’m certain that the Sudan situation did not start out suddenly. He continued by saying that there was plenty of time for people to start getting ready to depart in case of an emergency.
Rimi claims that personnel of the Cairo embassy helped citizens of the nation and other government organisations taking part in the evacuation effort.
Given the resources at our disposal, we try our best to offer every resident the best service possible. And thus far, everything is going according to plan.
He noted that other government agencies in charge of organising and carrying out the evacuation of Nigerians from war-torn countries and emergencies, as well as the embassy, participated in the process.
