1,500 Bangladeshis stranded in Sudan as fighting rages

Bangladesh has decided to keep its mission in Sudan open to help citizens amid fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force, with around 1,500 Bangladeshi nationals still in the African country. 

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Monday said the Bangladeshis were staying in the African country before the violence broke out on April 15. 

This comes as Western, Arab and Asian nations raced to extract their citizens from Sudan on Monday as the U.N. chief warned of the risk of "a catastrophic conflagration" with wider repercussions and urged international powers to exert maximum pressure for peace. 

Foreign evacuations included a 65-vehicle convoy with dozens of children among diplomats and aid workers on an 800-km (500-mile), 35-hour journey in searing heat from the embattled capital Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Bangladesh has a small mission, a consulate general in Sudan, and the foreign ministry ordered the officials there to remain vigilant, according to Momen. 

“They have been asked to advise all our citizens there to maintain precaution and keep enough provisions at home.”

The sudden eruption of violence between the military and the well-armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on April 15 has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services and turned residential areas into war zones. 

Tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese and citizens from neighbouring countries, have fled in the past few days, including to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, despite chronic instability there. 

Several countries sent military planes from Djibouti to fly people out from the capital, while other operations took people by convoy to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which is about 800 km (500 miles) by road from Khartoum. From there some have boarded ships to Saudi Arabia. 

Momen said the foreign ministry was talking to other countries about the steps they are taking to ensure the safety of their citizens. 

“Some offered help to evacuate our officials. We’ve said we should keep our office open as long as our citizens are there so that we can provide them help in case of emergency.” 

The government on Saturday issued an alert advising Bangladeshis not to travel to Sudan now.

The foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia on Saturday said Royal Saudi Naval Force was able to evacuate 91 people, including Bangladeshis, from Sudan, which is witnessing armed conflict since April 15.

In a tweet, the ministry said of the 91 rescued, 66 were of "friendly and brotherly" nations.

Facing attacks, aid organisations were among those withdrawing staff and the World Food Programme has suspended its food distribution mission, one of the largest in the world.

Clean water and fuel were becoming harder to come by in Khartoum, with electricity and internet services patchy. Residents have been sharing resources.

Several nations, including Canada, France, Poland, Switzerland and the United States have halted embassy operations until further notice.

By Monday afternoon, fighting was starting to pick up again. Air strikes and ground fighting shook Omdurman, Khartoum's sister city on the opposite bank of the Nile river, and there were also clashes in the capital, a Reuters reporter said.

Dark smoke enveloped the sky near the international airport in central Khartoum, adjacent to army headquarters, and booms of artillery fire rattled the surroundings.

There has been little change in the pattern of fighting with the RSF spread through neighbourhoods and the army, deployed in more limited areas, using air strikes on their rivals.

The two sides have not abided by several temporary truce deals despite heavy pressure from countries worried about the conflict's wider reverberations and safety of their nationals.