South Sudan opens its airspace for Sudan’s emergency evacuation route

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in South Sudan says it has opened its airspace to allow countries to evacuate their diplomats and staff from Sudan.

A press statement released by the Ministry on Monday, 24 April 2023, says the government of Kenya has managed to evacuate 24 nationals who arrived in South Sudan through the Northern border from Palouch airport in Upper Nile.

It says the Ministry is directly monitoring the situation in the Republic of Sudan. “In the last 72 hours, H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit engaged the Sudanese parties to ensure that the temporary humanitarian ceasefire is held to allow foreign missions to evacuate their diplomats’ staff and nationals.”

It says the government of South Sudan is doing its best to see all South Sudanese citizens trapped in the Sudan conflict return safely home. ‘’In the last 24 hours, nearly 10,000 South Sudanese citizens arrived in Renk, including nationals of some neighboring countries.’’

‘’Hundreds of others have arrived in Northern and Western Bahr El Ghazal States”. The government says its Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Khartoum will remain operational, but non-essential staff will be evacuated.

” The government of South Sudan will continue to engage the Sudanese leaders to ensure that the dire humanitarian situation is addressed by opening humanitarian doors,” it adds.

Since the violence broke out in April, 16 primarily in Khartoum between the two rival military factions, RSF and the Sudan Army Forces, at least 400 people have died, and more than 3500 were wounded.