EU mulls evacuation of citizens from Khartoum as latest ceasefire collapses

The European Union says it is planning for a possible evacuation of EU citizens from Khartoum, when the security situation allows, as armed clashes continue to rage in the Sudanese capital. 

Sudanese army regulars on the outskirts of Khartoum. via REUTERS - SUDANESE ARMED FORCES

On Friday a senior official with he European Union said the bloc is "trying to coordinate an operation to get our civilians out of the city which is now in a high-risk situation. We are working on different possibilities for taking people out.

"For the time being, the assessment of those on the ground – including the EU embassy – is that the security conditions are not in place for going ahead with an operation of this kind."

The EU and the seven member states with missions in Khartoum will be following the situation closely with a view to choosing the right moment for evacuation.

"At that moment, it's our expectation that we will be fully prepared to go ahead with the evacuation of our nationals." 

• Khartoum residents seek medical advice online as hospitals attacked
• Thousands flee Khartoum as fighting continues despite 24-hour truce

This comes as Spanish military aircraft are reportedly on standby and ready to evacuate some 60 Spanish nationals and around 20 civilians from other countries from Khartoum.

However, in the absence of a sustainable ceasefire, foreign nations have been unable to evacuate their citizens from Sudan.

It is with a heavy heart we confirm the death of a valued IOM Sudan staff member today after his vehicle was caught in a crossfire south of El Obeid.

We join his wife and newborn child, and our team in Sudan in mourning.https://t.co/lNmfSYLmde

— IOM Sudan 🇺🇳 (@IOMSudan) April 21, 2023

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration has confirmed that a humanitarian worker was killed on Friday after his vehicle was hit by crossfire as he tried to move his family to safety.

The Sudanese man is the fourth UN employee to be killed since fighting broke out six days ago.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded since the fighting erupted last Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The rival forces were reported to be engaged in intense street battles in Khartoum on Friday, as both sides ignored appeals for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire.