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It may be “impossible” to evacuate British citizens from Sudan once the war-torn country’s fragile ceasefire ends, the foreign secretary has warned.
James Cleverly said that the UK government could not predict what would happen once intense fighting resumed.
He urged British nationals who may be “hesitant” or “weighing up their options” to make their way to Wadi Seidna, where there were “planes and capacity” to get people out.
Fighting flared in Sudan yesterday as its armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battled on Khartoum’s outskirts, undermining a truce in their 11-day conflict.
The fighting came as the army agreed to extending the ceasefire that is in force till today.
The army said last night its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, gave initial approval to a plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks, reported Reuters.
There was no immediate response from the RSF to the proposal.
‘Potentially impossible’ to evacuate Britons once ceasefire ends - Cleverly
It may be “impossible” to evacuate British citizens from Sudan once the war-torn country’s fragile ceasefire ends, the foreign secretary has warned.
James Cleverly said that the UK government could not predict what would happen once intense fighting resumed.
He urged British nationals who may be “hesitant” or “weighing up their options” to make their way to the extraction point, where there were “planes and capacity” to get people out.
End of ceasefire could result in humanitarian catastrophe - minister
Africa minister Andrew Mitchell warned that an end to the ceasefire could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan.
He told the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House: "It is essential that a ceasefire is maintained and that a political process is secured.
"If not, the humanitarian consequences will be incalculable.
"The UK will continue to work tirelessly to help bring an end to the violence and provide vital humanitarian relief."
File photo: Andrew Mitchell
Cleverly avoids questions on safe and legal routes for Sudan
James Cleverly has refused to get into details about the possibility of safe and legal routes for those fleeing Sudan to get to the UK.
The foreign secretary said: "There is war and conflict all over the world. There are literally millions upon millions of people who are in countries plagued by war. We recognise that we cannot host everybody who is in a country plagued by war.
"Sudan is not the only country suffering from conflict and so picking out Sudan because it happens to be in the news, I think, diminishes the suffering of other people around the world firstly, and, secondly, we have to remember there are millions upon millions of people who are fleeing conflict or who are fleeing economic privations."
The map below shows Sudan’s location in North Africa. Khartoum, the capital, is where the most intense fighting is taking place.
WHO fears more deaths in Sudan due to outbreaks, collapse of services
The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects “many more” deaths in Sudan.
The world health agency said yesterday that there could be many more deaths due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of essential services amid fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, reported Reuters.
Since mid April, the ongoing fighting has killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the WHO.
Cleverly - we’re pushing for ceasefire extension
The UK is pushing for an extension to the ceasefire in Sudan, the foreign secretary has said - Archie Mitchell reports.
Speaking to Sky News, James Cleverly said: “We pushed for the original ceasefire, we are pushing to have the ceasefire extended, we are pushing with our international partners and leaders in the region, to have a permanent peace settlement.
“But the point I’m making is I can’t guarantee any of those things. If they happen, that’s great, that’s what we’re pushing for.My worry is if people are having to make difficult decisions, and of course they are, if they are basing those decisions on a belief that this ceasefire will continue, and then it doesn’t, they put themselves in a more dangerous situation.
“So my strong advice is to err on the side of caution, take advantage of what we know, which is the ceasefire is currently holding, even though we don’t know whether it’ll hold for the full duration, rather than relying on what might not happen, which is an extension of the ceasefire, which of course we are pushing for.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly (Hannah McKay/PA)
ICYMI: Dodging bullets and paying thousands: How these British families escaped wartorn Sudan
British families fleeing Sudan have described dodging heavy gunfire and bombing in their bids to escape the wartorn country after the Foreign Office “failed” to secure safe routes out.
Many have spent thousands to escape the country safely.
Bel Trew and Tara Cobham report:
ICYMI: Wounded British doctor’s agonising choice – risk deadly infection or leave mother in Sudan war zone
A British doctor is facing an agonising choice of either risking a deadly infection from his gunshot wound or leaving his vulnerable elderly mother to fend for herself in a war zone in Sudan.
Tara Cobham reports:
Over 500 Britons brought to safety from Sudan with more flights to come
The British evacuation mission from Sudan has lifted 536 people to safety on six flights as the military races against time to rescue citizens while a fragile ceasefire holds.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said “in a fast-moving situation” these were the figures at 9pm on Wednesday “with further flights to come”.
Read more:
Sudan evacuations can continue ‘even if ceasefire breaks’
Air evacuations from Sudan can continue even if a fragile ceasefire breaks, military chiefs said yesterday, as the first flight carrying British nationals arrived back in Britain.
Brigadier Dan Reeve, Britain’s chief of joint force operations, said that up to 500 people a day can be flown out of Wadi Saeedna, an airfield just north of Khartoum, with transport planes available to increase that number if necessary.
“The ceasefire itself was not a condition for us launching this operation, although of course it helped and was a useful window,” he said.
Kim Sengupta, Rebecca Thomas and Kate Devlin report:
How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group are cashing in on Sudan
They’ve drawn most attention in eastern Ukraine, but it seems wherever war breaks out – from Syria to Sudan – this group of mercenaries can be found profiting from bloodshed, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvYWZyaWNhL3N1ZGFuLWNvbmZsaWN0LXdhci1tYXAtZXZhY3VhdGlvbi1mbGlnaHRzLWNlYXNlZmlyZS1iMjMyNzg2MC5odG1s0gEA?oc=5
2023-04-27 08:26:50Z
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