The Federal Government is making preparations to evacuate 5,500 stranded Nigerians out of Sudan through Egypt.
The minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, told Channels Television on Sunday that the government was seeking the approval of the Sudanese government to undertake the long convoy and also provide security.
The government is also talking to Egyptian authorities to allow the Nigerians, most of whom are students to be moved through the country.
“We have been working round the clock for the last two days to try and get the Nigerians out,” Onyeama said.
“You know, first of all, of course, we have an embassy there. So that’s already a good thing.
“We’ve told them to put up a platform, where all the Nigerians in Sudan can, you know, log into and information will be available and to coordinate the process.
“Obviously, what you need in a situation like this is a place where everybody can congregate before you start moving them out.
“The only viable way out is by road. And of course, it’s not safe. So we are going to require the government to provide some security and a safe corridor out.”
Onyeama added that Nigeria would prioritize the evacuation of the masses over that of diplomatic staff.
“We can’t evacuate all our diplomatic staff at the moment because they need to also coordinate the evacuation of all those students,” he said.
“So, we’re going to also evacuate them.”
The evacuation plan is being discussed as fighting entered a second week in Sudan.
The clashes broke out on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary group, both of them led by former allies, General Abdel al-Burhan and General Mohamed Dagalo.
More than 420 people have been killed and thousands wounded, according to the United Nations, amid fears of a humanitarian disaster in the country.
