Following the war in Sudan that has claimed hundreds of lives and left many foreign nationals stranded, several Nigerian students there have announced plans to evacuate to Ethiopia.
In a statement released on Sunday by the media committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Sudan branch, the students instructed their peers to gather at three points in Gadarif before being evacuated to the neighbouring country of Ethiopia.
The capital of the Sudanese state of Al Qadarif is Gadarif, which is often spelt Gedaref or Gedarif. It is around 410 km from the city on the road that runs from Khartoum to Gallabat at the Ethiopian border.
This is in response to the situation in Sudan, which was classified as “risky” by the Federal Government through the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Although the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Mission in Sudan have put plans in place to evacuate Nigerians, NIDCOM stated on Friday that it is unsafe for any flight to operate during this time of war.
The NANS statement partly read, “This is to inform all Nigerian students to gather at any of these three locations to proceed with the evacuation to Gadarif, then to Ethiopia. 1. Ifriqiyyah University 2. NANSS Office or 3. El-Razi University.”
It said departure time was 1pm and transport cost $100.
“Those who don’t have the funds should contact either their school or state president. Come along with your passport original/photocopy or school ID card.
“Those that don’t have their passport at hand should also contact their state or school president,” the student body added.
Over 400 people have died and nearly 3,500 have been injured in the confrontation between the Sudanese security forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Force.
The violence, which began on April 8 and entered its 15th day on Sunday, has forced hundreds of citizens to flee the capital Khartoum.
The RSF paramilitary group and the Sudanese Armed Forces, both commanded by General Mohamed Dagalo, were previously partners.
On Saturday, the Federal Government of Nigeria declared all airports and land borders in Sudan blocked due to the complex emergency situation there caused by continued conflict between opposing factions.
However, it added that a search and rescue committee had been formed to determine the most secure route of evacuating Nigerians stranded in the troubled nation.
The government disclosed this through the National Emergency Management Agency, stressing that it was aware of the widespread public concern about the situation in Sudan.
