Employees of the Russian consulate general in Hurghada supported two Russians and four Belarusians, who faced problems during evacuation from Sudan, when crossing the border, Russian Consul General in Hurghada Viktor Voropayev told TASS on Thursday.
"Two Russians and four Belarusians received Egyptian visas a few hours ago and left the border area by train for Cairo," he said. According to the diplomat, from Hurghada "they are to fly, respectively, to Moscow and Minsk."
"On Wednesday evening, one of the relatives of the Russians working in Sudan who found themselves on the Sudanese-Egyptian border called the consulate general in Hurghada from Russia and asked for support," Voropayev explained. He said over the phone that Russian and Belarusian citizens working in Sudan under private contracts, including Badr Airlines, had arrived on their own from Khartoum to the Arqin Sudanese-Egyptian border crossing in the Egyptian province of Aswan.
Russian diplomats found out that "Egyptian border guards refuse to let them enter Egyptian territory because of the lack of transport." The Sudanese bus driver, who had promised to take the Russians and Belarusians to Aswan, refused to cross the border. The consul general informed the competent authorities of the Red Sea province about the situation, asking for the necessary assistance to the Russians and Belarusians to cross the border. The Egyptian side provided appropriate assistance. Given the large crowds of Sudanese and Egyptian nationals at the Arqin checkpoint, the Russians and Belarusians received Egyptian entry visas on Thursday afternoon.
Voropayev added that due to the large inflow of people evacuating from Sudan, Aswan Governor Ashraf Atiyah announced the creation of a crisis center and the organization of free movement of Egyptians, Sudanese and foreigners arriving from the neighboring country on trains from the province. Voropayev noted that the Russian consulate general in Hurghada has not yet received information about other Russian citizens who may have been on the Sudanese-Egyptian border.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Christopher Michel/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS