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August 6, 2024 (Omdurman) – The Sudanese army said on Tuesday it had evacuated five Italian nuns, a priest and 20 South Sudanese civilians from the war zone in Khartoum to the capital’s sister city of Omdurman after being trapped for more than a year.
The group, part of the Salesian Congregation of Don Bosco, has been living in the Shajala area south of Khartoum, an area of intense fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The military said in a statement that the evacuation was a “specialized operation” by the armed forces and the General Intelligence Directorate. The evacuees were taken to Omdurman for transfer to the relatively safe city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.
The statement also said the military had been providing them with basic supplies including food, medical care and solar energy during their arrival in Al Shajara. Last December, an evacuation operation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) failed when its convoy was attacked, an incident the military blamed on the RSF.
The Shajala area is home to major military installations and was the focus of clashes between the army and the Rapid Security Forces in April. The Rapid Security Forces have made several attempts to seize control of the area, but the army has so far repelled their advances.
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