The conflict that left hundreds dead and thousands injured in Sudan led Canada to evacuate its embassy in Khartoum.
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“The situation in Sudan has rapidly deteriorated, making it impossible to ensure the safety of our staff in Khartoum. After consulting the Canadian Ambassador to Sudan, we have decided to temporarily suspend our activities in Sudan,” Global Affairs Canada announced Sunday morning.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canadian diplomats “are safe and working from outside the country.”
Canada has thus followed in the footsteps of several Western countries which evacuated their installations in Sudan in the last hours, against the backdrop of a war between soldiers and paramilitaries which caused at least 400 words and 3,700 injuries.
Notably, the US military conducted a helicopter operation to evacuate the US Embassy. Several European Union countries had also begun to evacuate their personnel or were seeking to do so on Sunday.
• Read also: Clashes in Sudan leave more than 400 dead
Canadian nationals stranded
In addition, Canada had already urged, during the last week, any Canadian national in Sudan to register online at https://voyage.gc.ca/voyager/registration
Registration of Canadians Abroad – Travel.gc.ca
The Government of Canada’s one-stop shop for all foreign travel information.
However, they cannot count, for the moment, on an organized evacuation.
“Stay in a safe place. The closure of airports and airspace does not allow any air evacuation at this time. We are working with other countries to coordinate the response to the crisis,” advised Global Affairs Canada on Saturday.
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Just under 1,600 Canadians are currently in Sudan, Ottawa said.
“We urge all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and to participate in mediation efforts supported by regional partners that encourage peaceful dialogue and lasting peace,” the ministry added.