Sudanese authorities asked for humanitarian assistance from representatives of the Russian side, Russian Ambassador to Sudan Andrei Chernovol told TASS on Wednesday.
Asked if the Sudanese authorities have made requests for humanitarian assistance to Russia, the ambassador answered "yes", but specified that they had been stated verbally. "So far only verbal [requests]. The ministry of foreign affairs of Sudan is working remotely and due to the circumstances the staff cannot fully work in the ministry. But we take into account such verbal requests and send them to Moscow," he said.
Earlier, the ambassador told TASS that the Russian side is working on the issue of evacuating the Russians from Sudan. He explained that the delay is related to the evaluation of certain risks and threats that need to be minimized.
The situation in Sudan has deteriorated because of a disagreement between Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also leads the Sovereignty Council, and the head of the rapid support force (special forces) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who is his deputy in this body. On April 15, clashes broke out between the two entities near a military base in the city of Merowe and Khartoum. The World Health Organization reported that 420 people died in the conflict and more than 3.7 thousand were injured. Active fighting between Sudan's army and rapid support forces (special forces) continued Tuesday, despite a 72-hour cease-fire for humanitarian purposes reached the day before.
Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Sudan in recent days. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and France have closed their embassies in Khartoum. Many other countries are reducing their diplomatic presence or relocating to nearby states.
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Photo: New Zealand Defence Force/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS