Sudan Conflict Intensifies
As the fighting in Sudan intensifies, there is a desperate attempt by all countries to get their nationals out safely. When a new three-day ceasefire went into effect, it gave hope to many that they could be able to accommodate all foreigners who wanted to evacuate and those Sudanese with dual passports. However, confusion and desperation reign. Britons in Sudan had until midday Saturday Many countries are announcing the end to their airlifts. The ceasefire was due to run out by the end of Sunday.
Sudan is at severe risk of descending into a full-scale civil war. Compounding the situation is that many Western diplomats have already fled the country with Sudanese visa applicants trapped in a war zone. Sweden is a case in point, Sudanese who were in the process of submitting their passports and visa application to the Swedish embassy in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, have discovered that the diplomats have fled before returning their documents. Similar situations have occurred with other embassies. When the fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), many foreign embassies suspended their services, leaving many individuals in limbo.
Unfortunately, Sweden is not an isolated case. Diplomats and civil servants from other countries such as England, Germany, The Netherlands, and Spain have followed the same pattern by fleeing with many passports locked up in the country. Sudanese visa applicants who could not retrieve their passports fled with their families to neighboring countries. Authorities are liable for not doing enough to return passports to visa applicants before closing their embassies. But, there is no agency available to give them any relief. As someone once said, “War is Hell.”
