The first Canadian evacuation flight took off from Sudan

This is obviously good news and I thank the Canadian Armed Forces for their hard workAnita Anand said.

” More details will be available soon. We operate in near real time. »

It was already announced on Tuesday that more than 200 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) soldiers and two C-130 Hercules aircraft will take part in the withdrawal operations from Sudan, where renewed fighting between the military and paramilitaries has threatened a fragile ceasefire. .

In addition to the two Hercules aircraft, Canada has two ships near Port Sudan, 850 km east of Khartoum, for possible evacuation by sea. It’s not the best choice, but it’s an option if you find your hands are tiedVice Admiral Bob Ochterlony, head of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, said during a technical briefing for the media on Tuesday.

Anita Anand made the announcement in front of the same Canadian Armed Forces C-130 Hercules aircraft that carried out the first Canadian evacuation in Sudan.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Heloise Rodriguez-Kisselbasch

Minister Anand confirmed that on Thursday FCC Although non-airways are more dangerous, all evacuation options should be considered consistently.

In a press release, we learned that Secretary of State Melanie Jolie met with former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok on Wednesday. Canada continues to work with the international community to coordinate the response to the crisis, support the people of Sudan, and find a negotiated solution that will return Sudan to lasting peace and democracy.Is it written.

According to Global Affairs Canada, 1,814 Canadians and their family members in Sudan were registered with the Canadians in Canada registration service on Wednesday, an increase of 111 from the previous day. Of this number, 699 people requested help from the Emergency Monitoring and Response Center, a slight increase since Monday.

However, this figure only provides an estimate of Canadians and their family members in Sudan, as registration is voluntary.Global Affairs Canada says:

As of 2 p.m. April 26, the Government of Canada has coordinated the departure of 180 Canadians from Sudan.

Airstrikes, artillery strikes, and the situation in Sudan remains precarious, where clashes between the military and paramilitary groups continue.

Several countries began evacuating people a few days ago. Minister Anand explained that we need to ensure that conditions on the ground are safe and that we have space in the airspace. This is what is happening now and will continue to happen.

” The flight that just took off from Sudan is an example of the behind-the-scenes planning. »

A situation Very dangerous

A 72-hour ceasefire has been reached between warring parties in Sudan under the US. Later he is somewhat respected in the capital, Khartoum, where chaos continues to reign despite everything. It is scheduled to end Wednesday at midnight local time (6 p.m. EDT).

Minister Anand emphasized in a press conference that the situation in Sudan is very dangerous. Electricity and communication are intermittent. Water and food shortages are widespread.

Fighting began on April 15. At least 512 deaths have been reported since then, but Sudan’s health ministry said the actual number could be much higher.

Thousands of people have already fled the country, with 3,500 taking refuge in Ethiopia and 9,000 in South Sudan, according to the United Nations. i’UN Its neighbors, including Chad and Egypt, are warning that they could see an influx of 270,000 refugees.

The conflict pits the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdan Daghlou against a contingent of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s regular army.

Allies during the October 2021 coup d’état, the two generals are now waging a merciless war.

The regime ended a democratic transition that followed the fall of dictator Omar El-Bechir, who was ousted under street pressure in 2019 and jailed after 30 years in power.