Government Should Assist In Evacuating Irish Citizens From Sudan - Former Army Ranger

Sunday, 23 April 2023 07:56

The midlands TD is calling for a response team to be established.

The government is seeking international assistance to evacuate 125 Irish citizens from Sudan.

Violent clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary group has now entered its second week and left hundreds dead.

Foreigns Affairs Minister Micheál Martin says "every effort is being made to assist" Irish citizens, and they're "planning for assisted evacuation...when conditions make it possible".

Independent TD and former Army Ranger Cathal Berry is calling on the government to set up its own emergency response team:

*UPDATE*

The Defence Forces are being deployed to Sudan to evacuate Irish citizens.

The government has approved the decision to send up to 12 Defence Forces personnel, initially to Djibouti, as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team.

Over 400 people have died as fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary group enters a second week.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says it's in contact with over 150 Irish citizens in the country.

The mission will involve Defence Forces personnel, in support of Department of Foreign Affairs officials, to assist with the process of evacuating Irish citizens and their dependents from the crisis in Sudan.

The government says it remains deeply concerned by the situation in Sudan and the Irish Embassy in Nairobi.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is in ongoing contact with more than 150 Irish citizens in Sudan. The Department has also been working actively with its international partners to arrange for the evacuation of Irish citizens.

France has been leading on the immediate evacuation from Khartoum of French and other EU citizens.

The Taoiseach said the situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile. Leo Varadkar said the situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has got worse in the last few days, and violence is being reported across the city.

The Irish Defence Forces personnel and Department of Foreign Affairs officers being deployed will make every effort to provide advice and assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan.

Officials of the Department will arrive in Djibouti today.