Abdulbaqi is now in Djibouti. She got a seat on a Swedish plane that was transporting foreign citizens out of Sudan. – We were stopped at several checkpoints on the way to the airport. They didn’t scare us with weapons, but I was a little scared at first, says Abdulbaqi to news. There is good progress in the transport of Norwegian and European citizens from Sudan, reports the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Islam Yousif Abdulbaqi / Private – They were just going to check the cars, and then they let us through. At the airport outside the capital, she met Norwegian representatives. She hopes to be back in Bergen before the weekend. – We got help from some Norwegian soldiers, before we were put on a Swedish plane. We got good help from everyone, she says. Around 30 Norwegian citizens have managed to get out of the large African country in the morning while there is a fragile ceasefire. UNREST: A Spanish military plane and military vehicles at Khartoum airport on Sunday. In recent days, a number of countries have evacuated their employees in Sudan. Photo: SPANISH DEFENSE MINISTRY HANDOUT / Reuters Islam Yousif Abdulbaqi went to Sudan two weeks ago. She wanted to spend the last days of Ramadan with her family and celebrate id. Little did she know that nothing would go according to plan. A few days after she arrived in Sudan; the land covered by the Sahara desert and where water from the Nile flows, another conflict broke out. This time between Sudan’s army and the militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Was 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. In Sudan, two generals are fighting for power and big money. Ordinary people are caught in the crossfire and cannot even go out to get food and water. Could these struggles now spread to neighboring countries? – 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 didn’t always get the information in time. Last night she got out on one of the planes that evacuate foreigners. Italian citizens are being evacuated from Khartoum in Sudan. Photo: MINISTERO DELLA DIFESA / Reuters The biggest challenge was getting to the airport, she said before getting on the plane. Not only did she have to find someone to drive her, she also had to find gas. Most cars are parked without them. – You have to buy petrol on the black market, says Abdulbaqi. She then had 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. The airport is 22 kilometers from the capital. She tried on Tuesday, but was stopped by forces from the government army and had to turn back. Foreign Ministry: Can’t help inside Sudan In an e-mail to news, the Foreign Ministry writes that a total of 75 Norwegian citizens have received help to leave Sudan. People have to get to the airport themselves. Unfortunately, Norway cannot help everyone who wants to leave Sudan, it says. There are still around 80 people with Norwegian connections left in Sidan. There are constantly new people making contact or registering, so the number changes every day. So far, three Norwegian planes have contributed to the evacuation from Sudan. On Thursday morning, around 30 Norwegian citizens managed to get out on Norwegian and other countries’ ships from Sudan. On Wednesday morning, 22 Norwegian citizens were evacuated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refers to it as a large international operation where many countries assist each other in retrieving citizens from the hostilities. British soldiers on their way to Sudan to evacuate British citizens. Photo: POOL / Reuters – 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 Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ragnhild Håland Simenstad. Abdulbaqi was on this Swedish plane out of Sudan. Photo: Islam Yousif Abdulbaqi / Private Abdulbaqi is grateful for the help she receives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 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. Promises to extend ceasefire Sudan’s army chief and junta leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, agrees to an extension of the ceasefire, according to the Sudanese army. The statement on Wednesday evening said Burhan had agreed to extend the ceasefire by 72 hours, a proposal put forward by the East African Regional Cooperation Organization (IGAD). According to the proposal, both the army and the RSF will send emissaries to Juba in South Sudan to discuss details.
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– Difficult to get to the airport – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
