Gov’t Begins Evacuating Kenyans Stranded in Sudan

29 Kenyan students who were stranded in Sudan amid the ongoing fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been evacuated.

Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Monday said the students crossed into Ethiopia, where they would fly to Addis Ababa from Gondor and then to Nairobi.

"I wish to thank South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for granting permission for Kenyan planes meant to evacuate stranded Kenyans in Sudan, to overfly their airspaces," Mutua said. 

" I also, in particular, thank the Governments of South Sudan and Ethiopia for heeding our request and allowing Kenyans to cross their borders and make it to safety," he added.

The cabinet secretary further announced that a Kenya Air Force plane was on standby to evacuate a group of 18 students traveling by road to the South Sudan border.

Further to this, another larger group of Kenyans on a well-planned itinerary will be airlifted from Port Sudan to Jeddah, after which they will fly to Nairobi on a Kenya Airways (KQ) flight.

"We estimate to ferry 300-400 Kenyans this way, if not more. I wish to thank and encourage the Kenya Foreign and Diaspora staff in our missions in the various nations plus the multi-agency teams in Nairobi for the seamless co-ordination," Mutua added.