Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
Some seventy-seven Ghanaians working and studying in war torn Sudan have successfully been evacuated to be airlifted to Ghana.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in collaboration with its Missions in Cairo, Addis Ababa, the Honorary Consul in Khartoum and student leaders have so far successfully evacuated two batches of 50 and 27 identified Ghanaian nationals to safety in the border town of Gedaref where they are being processed for Ethiopian entry visas and thereof repatriated home.
They comprise 34 females and 43 males. This brings to a total of 77 Ghanaian nationals who have been evacuated to safety.
A press release from the ministry stated “The Ministry takes this opportunity to inform the general public, particularly, Ghanaians stranded in Sudan to take note of the contact details of its Honorary Consul who is on standby to assist them to be evacuated to safety:
CONTACT PERSON TELEPHONE NO. Mr. Osama Ataaelmanan +249-92920-0000”
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration assured that the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt which has concurrent accreditation to Sudan is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Honorary Consulate is coordinating the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals to secure their safe passage to Ethiopia.
Thousands of people have been displaced in Sudan as a result of a deadly war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Khartoum has been the epicentre of the violence, with civilians suffering the most.
According to Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, a Deputy Minister of Foriegn Affairs and Regional Integration, the government would secure the safety of all Ghanaians.
“We have so far accounted for all the Ghanaian students. They are 73; none of them has been harmed, and we have all of them safe in a place. The next batch of Ghanaians is three footballers in Sudan. We have also accounted for them and have put all of them together. The plan is to evacuate them to the nearest country which is Ethiopia”, he said.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration announced its preparedness to evacuate Ghanaian nationals trapped in Sudan’s conflict.
Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in avoidable casualties in the past week.
A number of Ghanaian nationals, particularly students, have been affected by the conflict but Ghana’s Honorary Consulate in Khartoum reports that all of its nationals are safe.
By Vincent Kubi