UK Diplomats Evacuated from Sudan

 The UK has evacuated its diplomatic staff and their dependants from Sudan, the British prime minister said on Sunday. However, U.K. nationals living in Sudan still remain in the country.

In what UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called “a complex and rapid” military operation, the evacuation occurred after the rise of violence in Sudan following the battle between rival military factions engulfing the capital, Khartoum, in warfare and raising the risk of a nationwide civil conflict. The fighting has caused the death of 420 people and forced civilians to lock up in their homes. Most civilians lack access to basic necessities.

Taking to Twitter, Sunak applauded the efforts of all those involved in the operation. "I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation." 

Ben Wallace, the defense prime minister, said the operation was done with aid from the United States, France, and other unnamed allies.

The priority given to British diplomats and their families has caused concern as U.K. citizens remain in Khartoum. According to reports, between 3,000 and 4,000 British nationals remain in Sudan. Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, criticized the evacuation stating that the U.K. Foreign Office has not learned from the lessons of the evacuation from Afghanistan. If the rescue isn’t possible, it must be communicated to the people.

“We have a moral obligation to tell British nationals as soon as possible that is the judgment that has been made because they then need to make their own decisions,” Kearns told BBC Radio 4.

According to William, a British citizen, it wasn’t possible for them to get past the checkpoints and reach the Sudan border, which was far away. In the meantime, citizens were advised to stay in a safe place and keep their passports and travel documents with them. 

On the other hand, James Cleverly, the UK foreign secretary, assured that the safety of British Nationals was a priority as the U.K. is trying to broker international support to end the violence; evacuating those stuck in Khartoum would be difficult without a ceasefire. 

A note on the embassy website requires British citizens to identify themselves and their location. This would help U.K. special forces contact British citizens who want to leave once a ceasefire has been agreed.