By Kamsi Anayo
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, has said that the Federal Government will begin the evacuation of over 3,500 stranded Nigerian students in Sudan to Egypt by road on Tuesday.
Onyeama said in Abuja on Tuesday that move was necessitated by escalating conflict rocking the war ravaged North African country.
Videos which have surfaced online have shown Sudanese militia lynching non Sudanese trapped in the escalating conflict 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).
Hundreds of people, mostly civilians, have been killed so far with critical infrastructure destroyed.
Onyeama said, “I was in touch with our ambassador in Egypt, because Egypt is a country that is particularly close to Sudan, to also help to facilitate for this corridor and also a reception when they arrive there, their upkeep and so forth.”
The minister said about 5,500 Nigerians were ready for evacuation from Sudan, adding that 80 percent of them were students.
“I have been in touch round the clock with our embassy there and they have given us the cost estimate, they have given us all the details and they have given us all the total figure of 5,500 ready for evacuation.
“All the agencies of government are working together, including NEMA, and they are being contacted to find out what their needs are before evacuation and how to get it through to them,” the minister said.
It was revealed that the trapped students would be evacuated to Cairo by road.
The Nigerian embassy in Khartoum would use about seven buses to begin the evacuation Tuesday morning.
The distance from Khartoum to Cairo is about 2,176km – which means an estimated 50 hours road trip to Cairo, it was learned.
