Uganda Seeks IOM Assistance to Evacuate Nationals Trapped in Deadly Sudan Clashes

By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman

The Ugandan government is seeking assistance from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to evacuate 275 Ugandan nationals who are currently trapped in Sudan due to ongoing military clashes.

According to John Mulimba, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the group includes workers, students, patients and travelers in transit.

There are 120 Ugandans working in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, as well as 116 students, 14 patients in hospitals, six citizens on short visits and 19 Muslim travelers en route to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the Ramadan pilgrimage.

Mulimba briefed parliament on the government’s plans to evacuate its citizens, stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approached the IOM for support and assistance.

The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in armed clashes in Khartoum and other areas outside the capital since April 15, with both sides blaming each other for initiating the conflict.