How fast or whether the over 4,000 Nigerian students stranded in Sudan following the crisis in that country will be rescued, will depend largely on the resources available for such an evacuation exercise by the Federal Government and the perceived difficulty in securing the collaboration between the Abike Dabiri-Erewa led Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and the Ministry of Foreign affairs.
The federal government had on Thursday expressed concerns over the escalation of conflict in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces, SAF, and the paramiltary group, the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, which have caused untold hardship and death to civilians.
Statements from the Ministry of Foreign affairs blames the worsened situation in Sudan to the non-adherence of the warring parties to a call for a cease fire by the international communities, whixh has made it impossible for the Nigerian government to embark on evacuating its citizens.
Spokes person for the ministry, Francis Omayuli, said that the ministry has made an official request through its embassy in Khatoum for permission to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian living in Sudan who are desirous of returning home.
They advised Nigerians in Sudan to stay calm, remain indoors and link up to the WhatsApp group that has been opened for Nigerian students and Nigerians.
But in a twist of event, the chairman of NIDCOM, Hon, Abile Dabiri Erewa, said that the intensity of the crisis in Sudan has made it difficult for any flight to fly into Sudan at this point, thus dampening the hopes of Nigerians trapped in Sudan.
Hon Erewa made this disclosure in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu. In the statement Erewa stated that some aircrafts in Suadan were burnt at the airport, noting that the occurrence has further made even humanitarian efforts to get food, water, and medicine across to the people near impossible.
Reports say, explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan.
Over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
About 10,000 Nigerian students are in Sudan, according to reports.
Therefore, how fast the government is able to respond to the resue calls of the stranded Nigerian students and other Nigerians in the war torn country will depend largely on how much resources the federal government can immediatly deploy to the course and how readily the Ministry of Foreign affairs and NIDCOM are ready to collaborate to ensure the mission is successful.