ISLAMABAD: A convoy evacuated another 211 Pakistani nationals from the conflict-ridden Sudanese capital of Khartoum to Port Sudan in the country’s east on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, taking the total number of Pakistanis evacuated to safety to 700 so far.
The development came after a US-brokered 72-hour cease-fire between Sudan’s warring generals officially came into effect on Tuesday after 10 days of urban combat killed hundreds, wounded thousands, and sparked a mass exodus of foreigners.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to the cease-fire “following intense negotiations,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement shortly before the truce took effect. Previous bids to pause the conflict failed to take hold, but both sides confirmed they had agreed to the three-day halt.
Around 1,300 Pakistanis were in Sudan, though some of them were still not willing to leave the African country, according to Pakistan’s ambassador Meer Bahrose Regi. The Pakistani embassy in Sudan was planning to give them a deadline for evacuation.
“In keeping with the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to the welfare of overseas Pakistanis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to lead in the relief and rescue of Pakistanis in Sudan,” Bhutto-Zardari was quoted as saying in a statement by the Pakistani foreign office.
“Today, another convoy carrying 211 Pakistanis dispatched from Khartoum has arrived in Port Sudan. With the latest convoy, the total number of Pakistanis who have been evacuated to safety has reached 700.”
Ambassador Regi and his team in Khartoum and Port Sudan were working “day and night” to facilitate the stay of these Pakistanis until their return to home, according to the statement.
“We remain engaged with friendly countries in the region, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to facilitate this process,” Bhutto-Zardari said.
Ambassador Regi last week said a number of high-profile officials, including the country’s prime minister, foreign secretary, and diplomats in Sudan and Saudi Arabia, were involved in the evacuation process and keeping a close eye on the situation.
Earlier this month, residents of Khartoum and adjoining cities found themselves under siege as the Sudanese army and its powerful paramilitary, the RSF, clashed with each other in a bid to take control of the country.
The two sides were allies in the past and worked together to seize power in a 2019 coup.
However, a power struggle broke out as tensions increased between them, making analysts warn of a nationwide civil war and the international community call for a cease-fire.
