The Korea Herald

피터빈트

S. Korea mulling evacuation of its citizens from conflict-ridden Sudan

By Yonhap

Published : April 18, 2023 - 20:13

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Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. (Photo - Reuters) Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. (Photo - Reuters)

South Korea said Tuesday it may evacuate its citizens from the conflict-ridden Sudan, as it seeks to stay on top of the ongoing hostilities in the African nation.

An official with the foreign ministry told reporters the government has been keeping close tabs on the development in Sudan through news reports, and real-time information exchange with the United States and other allies.

"We see this as a grave situation, as there have been attacks on foreign missions," the official said, on the condition of anonymity. "We will continue to explore many different options."

Among the options is believed to be the evacuation of the 25 South Korean citizens currently in Sudan.

In a press briefing earlier in the day, foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said the South Korean embassy in Sudan has been checking in on South Korean citizens there and that they have all been accounted for.

Evacuation is expected to present a few challenges, as airspace over Sudan has been closed and traveling by land will be fraught with danger.

Reports out of Sudan have said nearly 200 lives have been lost in the ongoing power struggle between the two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Amid growing international calls for an end, a US diplomatic convoy has come under fire in Sudan, and Aidan O'Hara, the European Union ambassador to Sudan, has been assaulted in his own residence. (Yonhap)