Sudan: 163 Irish citizens and their dependents successfully evacuated, Tánaiste confirms

Passengers from Sudan seen here boarding an RAF aircraft in Khartoum for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus. Picture: Arron Hoare/PA Wire

Some 163 Irish citizens as well as their dependents have been successfully evacuated from Sudan, the Tánaiste confirmed on Friday morning. 

Speaking at University College Cork's campus on Lapp's Quay, Mr Martin said efforts to evacuate citizens and their dependents have been “going well.” 

Last week, clashes erupted across Africa’s third-largest country amid an apparent power struggle between the two main factions of Sudan’s military regime – the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 500 people, including dozens of civilians, have been killed since the fighting began.

The Irish citizens evacuated so far have been assisted by the French, Spanish and Swedish governments, amongst others. More evacuations are planned over the coming days.

Mr Martin said the evacuation process “is very fluid”, due to some people who had not registered, but the majority had.

“Some have registered when they saw the evacuation happening, others have taken journey’s independently.” 

Mr Martin also expressed concern about the “challenges and trauma” this war would cause and said he hopes the ceasefire will hold.

“I am very concerned about the widening humanitarian crisis that will unfold in Sudan," he said.

"There are too many resource wars in the world and it is very clear to me that the Sudan War, is a war that’s fundamentally about resources.

“Prior to the war, about 12 million Sudanese were in humanitarian crisis as it was and were suffering from significant food insecurity that will multiple by millions if this war continues.

“And it will create its own migration pressures as well and more challenges and trauma for people. Every effort must be made to end this conflict and to stop the violence.” 

Those evacuated have left Khartoum to go to the neighbouring countries Djibouti and Jordan.

Although a ceasefire is currently in place, the fighting which broke out on April 15, has plunged the heavily aid-dependent country in chaos.