Canada preparing for Sudan evacuations, 2 military ships off coast: Trudeau – National | 24CA News
A Canadian effort is underway to conduct airlifts out of Sudan and two army vessels have arrived off its coast, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned Tuesday, as violence within the area continues for a second week.
Trudeau mentioned the federal authorities is co-ordinating with its allies to evacuate Canadian residents from Sudan, the place combating between the army and a rival paramilitary group erupted within the East African nation earlier this month, with a whole lot killed and 1000’s extra injured.
“It’s an extremely difficult situation,” Trudeau mentioned. “There’s very limited places where those airlifts can happen from.”
One Canadian in Sudan, 29-year-old Waddaha Medani, mentioned she made the journey to an airbase on the outskirts of the battle-torn capital of Khartoum Tuesday morning after she realized of an obvious evacuation flight.
She informed The Canadian Press in messages exchanged Tuesday that she boarded a German aircraft set to depart for Jordan, the place she was informed she would then be capable of get on a flight house to Ottawa.
Trudeau had mentioned on Monday that 58 Canadians had already left the nation on a German flight and {that a} C-17 transport aircraft was within the area.
On Tuesday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly mentioned that 100 Canadians have now made it out of Sudan.
She thanked Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for “helping evacuate” the Canadians.
Joly mentioned those that have now left the nation have been amongst 1,700 Canadians registered with the federal government and being contacted by federal authorities.
Of that quantity, 550 individuals have requested for help, she mentioned.
The federal authorities can also be offering data for people who find themselves making an attempt to go away the nation on their very own, Joly mentioned, and protected passage for Canadians has already been negotiated with a number of different nations within the area, together with Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt.
Canada continued to name for the observance of a 72-hour ceasefire settlement introduced Monday night time.
Defence Minister Anita Anand mentioned the federal government is making an attempt to assist anybody who’s requesting help however known as the state of affairs “extremely volatile and extremely intense.”
Trudeau additionally mentioned he spoke with the chairperson of the African Union to supply Canada’s assist.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
