Somalia evacuates 137 citizens from Sudan

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The Federal Government of Somalia has evacuated 137 citizens from Sudan as fighting continues in Khartoum.

Fighting was reported in South Khartoum Sunday as envoys from the warring parties met in Saudi Arabia for talks that international mediators hope will bring an end to a three-week-old conflict that has killed hundreds and triggered an exodus.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Hamza Aden Hadow welcomed 73 of the evacuees in Mogadishu and another 64 in Garowe.

The Permanent secretary said that the Federal Government of Somalia has redoubled its efforts to evacuate all Somali citizens from Sudan.

The fighting in Sudan has killed hundreds and trigged an exodus of thousands creating a potential refugee crisis in neighboring countries.

Saudi officials Monday said talks between the two warring sides will continue until the conflicting sides agree on a temporary ceasefire.

The talks led by the United States and Saudi Arabia is the first serious attempt to end the fighting that has turned parts of the Sudanese capital into war zones, derailed an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule following years of unrest, and created a humanitarian crisis.

“Pre-negotiation” talks began on Saturday and “will continue in the coming days in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Saudi government said it will allocate $100 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan to boost the United Nation’s led humanitarian aid to help civilians trapped in the conflict.

The conflicting sides reportedly said they were going to discuss military and humanitarian issues only, not political ones.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the sides commenced pre-negotiation talks in Jeddah on May 6.

“The talks continued on May 7 and will continue in the coming days in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance,” the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The Saudi foreign ministry specified that the conflicting sides had already started discussing security measures needed to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people and the restoration of essential services.

The World Health Organization has reported that so far over 400 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured.