Cairo-Thursday, 4 May 2023:

The Government of Sierra Leone has intervened and rescued ten Sierra Leoneans who were trapped in the conflict in Sudan and have been evacuated and repatriated from the war-torn nation to Sierra Leone.

The situation in Sudan’s capital Khartoum is desperate owing to intense clashes between Sudan’s Military and the country’s main paramilitary force that has sent thousands of residents fleeing for safety.

Sudanese forces loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s de facto leader clashed with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a collection of militia following General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, aka Hemedti in disagreement over the terms and conditions for the enlistment of the militia into the Army.

President Bio’s rescue effort has been described by citizens as a truly compassionate move. The evacuation from the North-African nation by the PAOPA administration happened at the most crucial time to save the lives of fellow Sierra Leoneans who were in dire need of support from a responsible government like President Bio’s government. This timely move is a manifestation of the government’s real concerns over its citizens in the diaspora.

The professional way, in which this evacuation exercise was handled by the government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt assisted by the Sierra Leone Embassy in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was strategic showing clearly that it is President Bio’s government’s top priority to rescue its citizens and provide assistance to those stuck in crisis.

When news of the bloody conflict emanated from the violent rivalry between the two generals in Sudan, the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Cairo, and the Arab Republic of Egypt carried out diplomatic and humanitarian responses to the bloody conflict caused by a violent rivalry between two generals, the Embassy in Cairo, accredited to Sudan, Chad, Libya and Tunisia responded swiftly as part of its obligation to seek the interests of Sierra Leoneans within its administrative jurisdiction.

Immediate communication was established between the embassy and the Sierra Leoneans. They were urged to move to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 800km (500 miles) by road from the capital Khartoum to get shelter. There were two options; either to go to Egypt or Saudi Arabia and a few days after, the evacuees chose the latter route where they were evacuated from Sudan to Jeddah. They were received by the Sierra Leone Embassy staff in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for final arrangements for their immediate repatriation to Sierra Leone. The ten Sierra Leoneans will depart Saudi Arabia on 4th May 2023 and arrive in Freetown on 5th May 2023at 4: 00 pm on board Asky Flight.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Ambassador Sadiq Silla and staff at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Cairo, whose efforts have brought 10 people so far to safety from Sudan. The Ambassador assured that, though some of the countries his Embassy is accredited to be facing periodic instabilities; they are committed to monitoring the situations in those countries and doing all they can to responding to the needs of Sierra Leoneans in those areas.

By Mohamed B. Kallon
Information Attaché
The Republic of Sierra Leone
Embassy in Cairo,
The Arab Republic of Egypt
Email: information.attache@eg.slembassy.gov.sl
+201104336127