What’s new: China has evacuated the first group of its citizens from Sudan to a neighboring country as fighting between state and paramilitary forces rages on in the northeast African nation, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Since “abrupt changes took place in the situation in Sudan,” Beijing has been very concerned about the safety of Chinese citizens in the country, spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing Monday.
The foreign ministry is in close communication and coordinating with relevant authorities, including the Chinese embassies and consulates in Sudan and neighboring countries, Mao said. It has an evacuation plan for Chinese nationals in the country, she added, but did not say where the first group of evacuees were taken.
The foreign ministry “has dispatched a working group to Sudan and the first batch of Chinese personnel have been safely evacuated to Sudan’s neighboring country,” Mao said.
The background: Since April 15, violent clashes between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been raging across the country, including in the capital Khartoum.
The fighting, which began as Sudan tried to transition to democracy, has left hundreds dead and millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. military has brought its government personnel in Khartoum to safety, the White House announced in a statement Saturday.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
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