As the window for air evacuations of Canadians stranded in Sudan “shrinks” as fighting closes in on major airports across the country, the federal government and the Canadian Armed Forces are weighing their options for initiating sea and land extractions.
During a press briefing held virtually on Saturday morning, National Defense Minister Anita Anand said that about 375 Canadians have been evacuated from Sudan so far, but that some 300 other citizens are waiting to receive help from Ottawa to get out of the fighting-torn East African country.
PHOTO MATTHIAS SCHRADER, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Defense Minister Anita Anand
While two evacuation flights took place on Friday and another is scheduled for Saturday, Minister Anand acknowledged that other means will have to be explored to repatriate all Canadians stranded in the country.
“The Canadian Armed Forces currently have two Hercules aircraft, one Globemaster aircraft and one Polaris aircraft to support the mission. […] As the situation continues to evolve, we are exploring our options for air, but also sea and land extractions,” she revealed.
The military ships HMCS Montreal and NM Asterix, which were to go to the Indo-Pacific for another mission, were therefore instead ordered to stay close to the country’s largest port, Port-Sudan, “in case they become useful for evacuation efforts”.
Canada also intends to look at what its allies are doing regarding ground evacuations. Minister Anand notably cited the example of the United States, which set up a bus convoy to bring out of the country around 300 of its nationals trapped in Sudan on Friday.
“This is one of the initiatives we are monitoring, because we see that the window of opportunity at Wadi Seidna airport is rapidly deteriorating due to the fighting getting closer and closer. »
The situation is dynamic and forces us to make decisions that are in the best interests of Canadians and for their safety. This is exactly why we are looking at all our options and working with our allies for planning and risk assessment.
Anita Anand, Minister of National Defense
At least one more evacuation flight will take place on Saturday, according to the minister, since there are still Canadians waiting at the airport to flee the country.
On Thursday, two flights organized by the Government of Canada with Hercules aircraft had 117 people on board, including 42 Canadians.
On Friday, two other flights brought 221 people out of the country, including 68 Canadians and six permanent residents, but two other flights were also canceled. In particular, a flight was turned back when the airport was closed following shooting at a Turkish plane from the ground, which damaged the aircraft and injured a crew member.
Other Canadians also fled Sudan on flights organized by countries allied with Canada, Ms.me Anand.
Help for Sudanese already in Canada
At the same press briefing, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser announced that people of Sudanese origin who are already in Canada will be able to extend their status to stay in the country longer as of Sunday. , and for free.
These people will also be able to change their status of visitor, student or temporary worker to obtain a work permit free of charge.
“These measures will help protect the safety of the Sudanese community in Canada and help families stay together in a safe place in Canada,” Fraser said.
Also, the Department of Immigration will not require Sudanese to hold a passport or travel document when applying for a permanent resident visa to come to Canada.
The fighting continues
On Saturday, despite the ceasefire which was extended on Friday for another 72 hours in Sudan, gunfire and heavy artillery fire could still be heard in some areas of Khartoum, the country’s capital.
The civilian death toll has also jumped to 411 people, according to the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, a group that monitors the number of casualties. Also according to this union, some 2,000 other civilians were injured during the clashes.
In total, 528 people died in the fighting and 4,500 were injured, according to data from the Sudanese Ministry of Health.
For 15 days now, fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group, has also left entire neighborhoods of Khartoum without electricity or running water. Citizens sheltering in their homes are starting to run out of food, while thousands of people are trying to flee the country as quickly as possible.
More than 50,000 refugees — mostly women and children — have made it to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, according to the United Nations.
For its part, Canada always recommends that its nationals trapped in Sudan contact Global Affairs Canada to determine the safest course of action to follow to leave the country.
— With information from The Associated Press