…By Henry George for TDPel Media.
The UK government has confirmed that the first flight carrying British nationals has left Sudan, with two more expected to take place overnight, after a ceasefire was brokered between warring factions.
The evacuation effort began at an airfield near Khartoum on Tuesday, where UK citizens were being processed.
The first departure was from Wadi Saeedna, headed for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and the passengers will be flown to the UK “fairly rapidly” if the process goes according to plan.
British passport holders are being urged to make their way to the airfield, with priority given to the most vulnerable.
Over 2,000 British nationals have registered in Sudan with the Foreign Office.
Around 120 British troops are supporting the operation at the airfield, which is being secured by the German military.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that UK forces have the “capacity” to take over should allied troops leave.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has warned that the ceasefire is “volatile and unpredictable”.
The evacuation is described as “large scale” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who paid tribute to the armed forces, diplomats and Border Force staff carrying out the “complex operation”.
Britain will work to “end the bloodshed” in Sudan, he said.
Families with children or elderly relatives, or individuals with medical conditions, will be prioritised for the flights, while only British passport holders and immediate family members with existing UK entry clearance are eligible.
The Foreign Office has warned that all travel within Sudan is “conducted at your own risk”.
More than 420 people have been killed since fighting began on 15 April, and a further 3,700 have been wounded.
The true number of British nationals in Sudan could be higher than the figure of over 2,000 who have registered with the embassy for evacuation.
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