UK Forces Evacuate Diplomats From Sudan
- In operation involving US and French Allies
United Kingdom (UK) Armed forces have evacuated diplomatic staff and their families from Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, according to the Ministry of Defence.
A statement confirming the development said that it undertook “a military operation alongside the US, France, and other allies.”
The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said the operation involved more than 1,200 service personnel from the 16th Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines, and the RAF.
According to Wallace, the UK is “grateful to all our partners”, even as “A significant escalation in violence and threats to Embassy staff” was cited as the reason for the evacuation.
Similarly, a statement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the move as “a complex and rapid evacuation” and praised “the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation.”
Sunak said; “We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones.”
The British ambassador to Sudan had not been in the country, and for some time, the difficult security situation in the capital had meant that the Embassy was struggling to provide consular support to British nationals there.
They are advised to stay indoors, and let the Foreign Office know of their whereabouts via its website.
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, has hinted that diplomatic efforts to support British nationals trapped in Sudan are currently “severely limited” and Embassy staff from Sudan would be redeployed to other missions in the area.
