Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans who have been rescued from Sudan should be on their way home soon.
This was after the government intervened after it emerged 77 South Africans were caught in the crossfire in Sudan and stranded after almost two weeks of intense fighting between the two rival groups.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army have locked horns in a power struggle with global leaders calling for a ceasefire.
Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that they had to use the small window of a ceasefire to rescue the stranded South Africans.
He said other than picking up South Africans they also rescued people from Angola and Namibia.
They also tried to get people from Brazil out of the capital Khartoum.
He said the rescue operation had dropped off all those who were caught in the fighting in Egypt and they should be travelling home soon.
“With regard to what is happening in Sudan, we are concerned and having concerns about the outbreak of violence, particularly in the Khartoum area where a number of people have found themselves in a very dangerous situation. We have had, like many countries in the world, to evacuate South Africans as well as giving assistance to our sisterly countries on the continent who have had people stranded in that conflict. They are now in Egypt, about 77 South Africans and nationals from countries such as Angola, Namibia and others. I do believe we could have given assistance to also people from Brazil. But for us it is a dangerous moment. We had no choice but to lend assistance and get people out. We hope they will be able to return back to South Africa and their respective countries,” said Ramaphosa.
He said through the African Union and the East African regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), they want to intervene with the view to ending the conflict.
He said the conflict between the two groups cannot be allowed to continue as it causes disruption to the economy and lives have been lost.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Sudan since the conflict started and thousands of people have been left injured.
Ramaphosa said nobody benefits from war except that it leaves a trail of destruction.
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