Geography of Africa

Foreign governments evacuated diplomats, staff and others from Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for a ninth day with no sign of a truce that had been declared for a major Muslim holiday.

A first group of Greek citizens has been evacuated from Sudan and taken to Djibouti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

The group includes the two injured individuals, the ministry says.

Following is part of the ministry statement:

Türkiye started an evacuation operation of Turkish citizens in Sudan on April 23 due to security concerns after clashes erupted between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Twenty-one bodies have been exhumed in Kenya while investigating a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death, police sources said Saturday, warning the toll could rise.

American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa's third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.

The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan's capital undermined those claims.

The evacuation of foreign nationals from Sudan continues. According to AFP, mainly citizens of Persian Gulf countries have been successfully evacuated, but there are also some from Bulgaria.

The US military has evacuated US diplomats and their families from Khartoum, confirmed President Joe Biden.

The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

According to reports, the ceasefire came into effect today at 6 a.m. local time and coincides with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, reports Reuters.
"The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr... in order to open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families," Rapid Support Force said in a statement.

Amid the ongoing deadly clashes in Sudan, more than 2,500 Turkish citizens, most of them survivors of the Feb. 6 quakes and moved to Sudan, are now in the firing line and call for help on social media.

The evacuation of the two injured Greek citizens and the other Greek citizens trapped in the conflict zone in Sudan is currently not possible, diplomatic sources said as fighting entered its fifth day on Wednesday.