The Rwandan diplomatic mission in Sudan has requested Rwandans living in the country to prioritize their safety and share information about their whereabouts amidst ongoing fighting there.
In a statement issued on April 20, the Mission noted that it is closely monitoring the ongoing fighting and security forces activity in Sudan and "urges all Rwandan nationals to prioritize their safety by remaining indoors.”
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It further asked them to report their current location or share any relevant security incident by means of phone lines; +249 923 306 048 or +249 990 729 839. The Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that deals with Rwandans living abroad and the Immigration Office also said they are working closely to help Rwandans living in Sudan.
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Fierce street battles erupted in Khartoum on April 15 after disagreements emerged between Sudan's Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. They both held top positions in Sudan's current government, formed after the 2019 coup that ousted long-time leader Omar al-Bashir. The civilian-dominated transitional government was also ousted by government forces in collaboration with RSF in 2021.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, also requested that this conflict be put to an end instead of continuing to kill innocent civilians. More than 400 civilians died in this war while thousands were injured, but no Rwandans are reported to have been affected.
It is reported that thousands of people have started fleeing Khartoum because of the violence and many have started to take refuge in Chad.
Reports on Saturday indicated that Gen al-Burhan said he spoke to leaders of several countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens. The main international airport in the capital Khartoum has been the target of heavy shelling, and military aircraft will be needed.
According to reports, around 10,000 to 20,000 Sudanese crossed the border into Chad a week after the fighting began in Khartoum and other areas of the country.