The UK government has announced it is “coordinating an evacuation of British nationals from Sudan”, as a US-brokered ceasefire between the warring Sudanese armed forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has officially started in Sudan, where hundreds have been killed and thousands have fled since the fighting began.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said “The Government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable, including families with children and the elderly.”
The British Foreign Office said British nationals should not make their way to the airfield unless they are called, and warned the situation remained volatile, meaning the ability to conduct evacuations could change at short notice.
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) had said the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce. US secretary of state Antony Blinken had announced the agreement first and said it followed two days of intense negotiations. But the two sides have not abided by several previous temporary truce deals.
Blinken said the US would coordinate with regional, international and Sudanese civilian interests to create a committee that would oversee work on a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements.