Nigerian students numbering over 1262 have begged the Nigerian government for evacuation from Sudan. In the Republic of Sudan, a fierce war is ongoing between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Force. Further, this war has claimed 330 lives, with about 3,200 people injured.
Nigerian students in Sudan have been begging the Federal government. The Secretary-General of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sudan, Adam Mohammed, lamented that students have run out of food.
Also, the clashes have displaced thousands of civilians who fled the capital, Khartoum. Even some foreign nations, including Japan, Uganda, and Tanzania, have begun evacuating their nationals as the violence, which started on April 8, entered its 12th day on Thursday.
Until recently, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary group were allies. They were led by General Abdel al-Burhan and General Mohamed Dagalo. Furthermore, they worked together in 2019 and overthrew Sudan’s brutal dictator, Omar al-Bashir. After the coup, a power-sharing government was formed. It was made up of civilian and military groups.
The plan was for the interim government to rule Sudan for a few years. Afterwards, they would oversee a transition to a civilian administration. However, in 2021, al-Burhan, who had become chief of the power-sharing council, dissolved it, declaring he would instead hold elections in 2023.There were failed negotiations over integrating the two forces ahead of the intended restoration of civilian rule.
Additionally, disagreement ensued over which general would be subordinate to the other and how quickly the RSF would be incorporated into the Sudanese military.
Heavy fighting began on April 8, with the cities of Khartoum and Obdurman being turned into battlefields.Although ceasefires were agreed upon by the warring factions, both failed to stop the violence.
Nigerian students
Mohammed said no student had been hurt in the course of the war. Also, he disclosed that he had written to the Federal Government about their situation, adding that moves to evacuate the stranded citizens were in top gear.Further, 1,262 Nigerian students had filled out the evacuation forms as of Wednesday night.
The Nigerian government is trying to send in some planes to evacuate Nigerian students in Sudan.