Two weeks ago, Islam Yousif Abdulbaqi got on a plane in Bergen. She was on her way to her family in Sudan to spend the last days of Ramadan together and celebrate id. Little did she know that nothing would go according to plan. A few days after she arrived in Sudan; the country covered by the Sahara desert and where water from the Nile flows, another conflict broke out in the large African country. This time between Sudan’s army and the militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Trapped in Sudan Thus, Ramadan and the ID celebration were characterized by the sound of gunshots and explosions, Abdulbaqi tells news via telephone. Fortunately for her: in the distance. Abdulbaqi and his family live in the south of the city, some distance from where the fighting took place. They are relatively safe there, in contrast to further north in the city. – People there have not had access to water or electricity since the conflict broke out, says Abdulbaqi. – It is stable where we live. In the neighborhood, the shops have reopened, but the shelves are empty of goods. In addition, shop owners are struggling to get hold of more. At the same time, the prices of food and other things have exploded, she continues. – Gets good help from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdulbaqi receives messages daily from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). She says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has created a separate Whatsapp channel for Norwegians who are in Sudan. But because the internet is down part of the time, she doesn’t always get the information in time. That is why she has missed evacuation flights several times. Italian citizens are being evacuated from Khartoum in Sudan. Photo: MINISTERO DELLA DIFESA / Reuters The biggest challenge now is getting to the airport. Not only does she have to find someone to drive her, she also has to find gas. Most cars are parked without them. – You have to buy petrol on the black market, says Abdulbaqi. She then has to cross one of Khartoum’s many bridges to get to the airport outside the city, where Norwegians and other foreign nationals are being evacuated from. She tried on Tuesday, but was stopped by forces from the government army and had to turn back. Thus she missed a French flight out of the country. The plan is to try again tonight. She has learned that France has three planes ready to evacuate people out of the country. Foreign Ministry: New flight Thursday morning In an e-mail to news, the Foreign Ministry writes that 22 Norwegian citizens left Sudan on Wednesday morning on a Norwegian flight. – We are very grateful for the cooperation with the defence. At the airport in Khartoum, they received support from personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Around 60 Norwegian citizens have so far received assistance to leave Sudan. There are still around 90 people with Norwegian connections whom the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows of, who remain. But this number is constantly changing. British soldiers on their way to Sudan to evacuate British citizens. Photo: POOL / Reuters The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that a new flight will also be set up early Thursday morning. The departure is at 5 o’clock Norwegian time. – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today contacted Norwegian citizens and informed them about this flight. Everyone who wants a place must have a Norwegian passport or a passport with a residence permit in Norway and show up no later than 3.00 (in the morning) local time, says communications advisor Ragnhild Håland Simenstad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to NTB. the airport is located around 22 kilometers north of Khartoum. – They have to make sure they get to the airbase themselves, and they have to assess their own safety. The Sudanese government army (SAF) has several checkpoints around the airport, says Simenstad. Abdulbaqi is grateful for the help she receives from the Foreign Ministry. She describes the international cooperation as good. – I know they are doing their best. The same applies to all the other countries. It’s not like French flights are reserved for French people, Swedish flights for Swedish people, etc. Everyone helps each other, says Abdulbaqi, who hopes to be home in Bergen soon.
ttn-69
– Difficult to get to the airport – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
