Rabat – Morocco’s King Mohammed VI issued instructions on Monday to evacuate Moroccan citizens currently stranded in Sudan back home.
The decision comes amid political turmoil and the escalation of violence in the Republic of Sudan, with the threat of a protracted war for control looming.
In response to King Mohammed VI’s instructions, the Moroccan Embassy in Sudan has organized a land convoy from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to the city of Port Sudan in the evacuation’s first stage, according to an official statement.
The convoy was able to safely transport over 200 Moroccan citizens residing in Sudan or those who happened to be in the country during the current crisis. The land convoy arrived safely in Port Sudan this evening.
King Mohammed VI also issued instructions for establishing an airbridge in coordination with Royal Air Maroc to facilitate the return of Moroccan citizens and their families to their homeland under the best possible conditions.
On April 15, reports of violence erupting in Sudan’s capital made international headlines, as two factions within the country’s military grappled for power.
The clashes between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people, and over 3,700 others injured since the fighting began on Saturday. Reports indicate that several high-ranking officials were among those killed.
The fighting was the culminating result of a power struggle that dates back to 2019. In April 2019, Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for nearly 30 years, was ousted in a military coup largely backed by the people.
The coup gave rise to a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilians that was reached in August 2019, but as the military failed to deliver the democratic transition they promised, a second coup in October 2021 triggered new protests calling for democracy and reforms.
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