An estimated 100 Zimbabweans are living and working in
Sudan and while they are reported to be safe, some have indicated their desire
to be repatriated.
In a statement yesterday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade spokesperson Mr Livit Mugejo said they were closely
following the evolving conflict in Sudan which has put Zimbabwean nationals
resident in that country in danger.
“Over the past few weeks since the conflict broke out, the
Ministry undertook a comprehensive exercise to reach out to all Zimbabwean
nationals in Sudan to establish their current situations and to ascertain their
immediate needs, including the possibility of evacuation from Sudan,” Mr Mugejo
said.
All Zimbabweans, including those who work at the Embassy
have been moved from Khartoum — the capital city and nerve centre of the
conflict — to Port Sudan from where transport arrangements are underway to
bring them home.
“The Ministry has managed to secure buses to evacuate our
nationals to Port Sudan in the UN convoy. The closure of airports has affected
the ability of the Ministry to urgently assist with the repatriation of
Zimbabweans in fulfilment of its mandate of protecting the interests and safety
of Zimbabwean nationals abroad.
“A contingency fund has already been disbursed to the
Embassy to facilitate the evacuation of our nationals,” Mr Mugejo said.
He said the Ministry was in contact with the Sudanese
Government to make sure that Zimbabweans who wished to leave the country could
do so safely.
Many countries have reportedly started evacuating their
diplomatic staff and nationals from Sudan as heavy fighting between the army
and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has entered its second week despite
a temporary truce for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.
At least 413 people, most of whom are civilians, have been
killed since fighting between two rival factions — the RSF and Sudan Armed
Forces (SAF) — broke out on April 15, according to the World Health
Organisation.
In the last few months, a disagreement between the army and
RSF over military security reform has turned into a bloody conflict.
The reform envisages the full participation of the RSF in
the army, one of the main issues in the negotiation process carried out by
international and regional parties for the transition to civilian and
democratic rule. Herald
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