President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (PHOTO FROM PPA POOL)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government is preparing contingencies to ensure the safety of around 300 Filipinos trapped in Sudan due to ongoing clashes between rival military factions.
In a video statement, the President said the Philippine government is currently gathering more information on the ground to better prepare and quickly bring Filipinos out of the strife-torn country.
The hostilities broke out on April 15 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. The two factions control various key government sites in Khartoum (See related story on page B6).“We have about 300 people in Sudan. Unfortunately, none of the airports are functioning. They are still under fire,” Mr. Marcos said.
Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said at least 86 out of 400 Filipinos in Sudan had asked the government for evacuation.
Some of the 86 who asked to be evacuated may be among the 66 foreign nationals who arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via an evacuation mission of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces when airports were still operational.“We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on Twitter Saturday.
The Philippines was listed as among the 13 countries that had citizens onboard the Saudi evacuation flight.
Safest way out
But with airports inoperable, Mr. Marcos said the government was studying the fastest and safest way to repatriate Filipinos stuck in the war-torn country.
“Also, we cannot ascertain a secure land route for them to leave. It is a long road from Khartoum to Cairo, which is where our embassy is, that is in charge also of Khartoum and Sudan,” he added.
Khartoum is more than 1,600 kilometers from Cairo by air, but more than 2,000 km by land. Before the hostilities, overland journeys between the two capitals took almost three days.
There are also possible diplomatic complications as Egypt supports Sudan’s army while the paramilitary group is believed to be backed by the United Arab Emirates.
Moreover, Egypt has already accepted millions of Sudanese migrants or refugees. The United Nations Sudan estimates Sudan’s population at more than 43 million.
Nonetheless, Mr. Marcos said the government was working out evacuation plans and other contingency measures to evacuate the remaining Filipinos in Sudan.
“We are just waiting to get better information as to whether or not it will be safe to bring our evacuees out of Khartoum, perhaps into Cairo,” the Chief Executive pointed out.