First Dutch people evacuated from Sudan

The first Dutch people were evacuated from Sudan with a French aircraft. Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs reports this. According to him, it concerns a handful of people. He does not specify an exact number.

According to Hoekstra, another group of Dutch people left the capital Khartoum with a United Nations convoy. They do not travel by plane but by road.

Earlier in the afternoon, Hoekstra said he hoped that more Dutch people could be evacuated to Jordan in the coming hours, this time also with Dutch aircraft. A rescue team is stationed in Jordan.

Around 8.30 pm, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that not all Dutch people will leave the country. Some of them do not want to leave relatives behind, others have no transport to get to the airport.

These are images of the arrival of a French evacuation plane in Djibouti, a neighboring country of Sudan. Very likely this included the Dutch:

The Netherlands is joining France and Germany in the rescue operation. “We are now trying to land as many planes as possible, we emphatically do that together.” If the Netherlands manages to land its own aircraft, these aircraft will also take other EU citizens with them.

Hoekstra gave this press statement at the end of the afternoon:

Although the first Dutch aircraft has not yet arrived in Sudan, Hoekstra speaks of a starting airlift: “At the moment it is possible to land and take off, which is why the first Dutchmen have now left the country with a French aircraft. But it is not to say with certainty that we can sustain this,” the minister added. “There is a chance that the flame will strike again. Things are going well for a few hours now, but there is no guarantee that it will stay that way.”

According to the minister, the operation set up with France and Germany is accompanied by “significant risks”. For people in Khartoum it is dangerous to move through the city and make the trip to the airport. “But the risks of this operation are less than doing nothing.” According to Hoekstra, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.

This morning, the ministry announced it would begin a rescue operation from the strife-torn East African country. The army and paramilitary RSF units have been fighting against each other for more than a week. At least 400 civilians have been killed.

Earlier today, the ministry had contact with 152 Dutch people in Sudan, including six embassy employees, about the evacuation. They had to prepare for departure. Details of the operation, such as the time and location, were not disclosed for security reasons. According to Hoekstra, the Dutch who have not yet left are largely at an airport outside Khartoum.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that attempts are being made to contact all Dutch people to find out where they are and where they are going. However, that turns out to be difficult. “The call team continues to try to get you on the line,” the ministry reports online.

British and American diplomats and their relatives were successfully evacuated from the country earlier today. It was always small groups. However, the operation that the Netherlands is setting up with France and Germany is more complex, according to Hoekstra. “In addition to diplomats, we also want to repatriate other compatriots.”