France starts a “quick evacuation operation” from Sudan of its diplomatic staff and citizens

Paris says it includes citizens of “European partners and allies,” with no further details at this time.

23 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Government of France has announced this Sunday that it is carrying out “a rapid evacuation operation” of its diplomatic personnel and its citizens in Sudan, in the context of the clashes that broke out on April 15 between the Army and the paramilitary Security Forces. Rapid Support (RSF).

The French Foreign Ministry has indicated that these works are being coordinated with the Defense portfolio and has reported that there are contacts with “all parties”, as well as with “European partners and allies”.

“This operation includes citizens of these states, as well as European diplomatic personnel,” he said in a statement published on his website, without giving more details about those affected.

Over the past few hours, the United States has evacuated all diplomats and their families from its embassy in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, while suspending its operations. Spain already has planes in Djibouti prepared to undertake the evacuation mission when the situation allows.

The hostilities broke out in the context of an increase in tensions around the integration of the RSF –led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias ‘Hemedti’, who is also vice president of the Sovereign Transition Council– within the Forces Armed Forces, a key part of an agreement signed in December to form a new civilian government and reactivate the transition.

The talks process began with international mediation after the head of the Army and president of the Sovereign Transition Council, Abdelfatá al Burhan, led a coup in October 2021 that overthrew the then prime minister of unity, Abdalá Hamdok, appointed to the charge as a result of contacts between civilians and the military after the April 2019 riot, which ended 30 years of the regime of Omar Hasan al Bashir.