The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says all South Africans have been safely evacuated from Sudan and are expected to arrive in the country tomorrow morning.
DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor is expected to welcome them back home at the Waterkloof military base in Pretoria.
The Department’s spokesperson Clayson Monyela says, “This has been a very difficult operation, but we are grateful that we’ve been able to do this. Unlike other countries that initially evacuated only embassy staff, South Africa made sure that our diplomats stayed on the ground so that when we evacuate, we do not leave South African nationals stranded in Sudan with no help and with no support. So, we got everybody out.”
The conflict between Sudan’s army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces has triggered a rush among countries to evacuate their diplomats and citizens.
There are reports of fighting in Khartoum, despite the two sides agreeing to extend the ceasefire by 72 hours.
In the video below, Monyela gives more details of the evacuation:
