By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South Africans who were stranded in Sudan have been safely evacuated and arrived at the Egypt border, confirmed the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco).
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela posted on his Twitter account that two buses carrying the South African nationals have safely arrived at the border.
He said that officials from the South African Embassy were there to receive them and facilitate their entry into Egypt.
Monyela further confirmed that government will pay for South African flights back home.
At least 12 more nationals are expected to leave Sudan on Tuesday. “With this, everyone we know of will be accounted for,” confirmed Monyela.
The fighting hasn’t stopped, so it remains a dangerous operation. The airport is closed, and routes are not risk-free. The government is doing everything possible to get our nationals out.”
Monyela said Khartoum was a no-fly zone after the airport was damaged and closed.
“Our priority is to get everyone out,” he said.
Gift of the Givers Imtiaz Sooliman also said they had arranged an additional bus for four South Africans who were left behind.
The organisation said it had also received a call from the Brazilian Embassy, to assist nine people who were also stranded.
President Cyril Ramaphosa meanwhile has called for those involved in the conflict in Sudan to immediately cease the violent activities.
Ramaphosa said that through the African Union (UN) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), they will seek to make interventions to ensure that the conflict comes to an end.
“Nobody ever benefits from conflict, particularly violent conflict. It destroys lives and disrupts economies and the lives of ordinary people.
“It is for this reason that we insist and call upon those who are involved in this conflict to immediately cease the violent activities they are involved in. We call for peace and mediation…the only way the problem in Sudan can be resolved is through negotiation and mediation, “Ramaphosa said.
He said that South Africa like many other countries in the world, had to evacuate its citizens as well as assisting sister countries on the continent who have had people stranded in the conflict.
The President said that about 77 South Africans and nationals from countries such as Angola and Namibia along with other countries are now in Egypt.
Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum has been engulfed in a deadly military battle between the government forces led by the military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo since the early hours of April 15.
A number of people in the capital and other cities in Sudan have been left trapped in their homes with the fighting in the streets and in the air between the army of Sudan and the paramilitary group.
This fierce battle between the military and paramilitary forces in Sudan has rung international alarm bells, with countries across the globe pulling strings to safeguard their interests.
The days of violence in Sudan have since resulted in the deaths of at least 270 people and many more wounded.