The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said that Nigeria will rescue nearly 5,500 Nigerians stuck in Sudan via road.
One week after severe combat broke out between two competing factions in the North Eastern African country, which borders Libya, Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea,
As of Sunday, Saudi Arabia had evacuated 91 of its residents and 66 from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso from Sudan.
Onyeama told Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Sunday that his ministry has been notified that 5,500 residents, including students, workers, and others, are ready to evacuate.
Once the French rescue team was attacked in Sudan, the minister said the road evacuation strategy was necessary.
“We have the cost estimate and all the information,” he stated. They estimated 5,500 evacuate-ready people. In this circumstance, you need a place for everyone to gather before evicting them. Your report noted that the airports are closed. The road is the only option. Of course. So, we want government security and a safe exit.
The statistics make our predicament difficult. The US and European countries have evacuated. They evacuated diplomatic staff. They can’t evacuate their citizens yet. “We can’t remove our diplomatic personnel because they need to manage the departure of all those pupils.”
Onyeama added that the ministry is taking precautions to avoid endangering stranded Nigerians by requesting Sudanese security.
He listed Egypt, Port Sudan, and Ethiopia as our three alternatives.
We’re seeking to acquire the Sudanese government’s permission to make this lengthy trip and offer protection. We won’t endanger Nigerian lives anymore. We saw yesterday how the French were shot while evacuating their countrymen. We don’t want to endanger our siblings.
“We are doing everything we can to gain the highest-level consent for the Sudanese government.” I formally requested a safe passage to evacuate our people today from the Office of the President. They verified the receipt and promised care.
“Egyptian, Port Sudan, and Ethiopian borders are our three options,” he said.
