The UK government has begun evacuating British citizens from Sudan with Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced.
More than 420 people—including at least 273 civilians—have been killed in a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which broke out on April 15.
About 2,000 UK citizens in Sudan have registered with the British Embassy for evacuation, but the true number of British nationals in the war-torn country could be higher.
Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 22, 2023. (The Canadian Press/AP, Marwan Ali)
Sunak said on Twitter: “The government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable, including families with children and the elderly….