Successful evacuation from Sudan, six more evacuations underway – UPDATE

Four more Hungarian citizens have been rescued from Sudan amid the civil war there, with the evacuation of another six people currently under way, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said on Monday.

Although Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and the Hungarian Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK) have all made statements on the evacuation of Hungarians, the government can only ask for help from foreign states. There is now a request for cooperation with other countries.

The four Hungarians have safely made it to Djibouti, three of whom were rescued from Sudan through cooperation with France, Szijjártó said in Luxembourg, according to a foreign ministry statement, expressing thanks to France for its assistance.

Another three Hungarians are being moved to safety in cooperation with the United Nations, while the evacuation of three other Hungarian citizens is currently ongoing, Szijjártó said.

They will be met by Hungary’s consuls at border crossings with Sudan, the minister said, adding that he could not provide further details for security reasons.

Meanwhile, another five Hungarian citizens are still in the Sudanese capital, Szijjártó said. Despite the poor technical conditions, “contact is established with them from time to time”, with the government advising them on how they can leave the country, he added.

Szijjártó said on Saturday that 14 Hungarian citizens had been rescued safely from Sudan. Another 15 Hungarians turned to the Hungarian authorities, he said on Sunday, adding that Hungary was making attempts to help them.

UPDATE

All Hungarians in Sudan accounted for

The government has contacted all Hungarian citizens in Sudan, they are all well and many are on their way to safe places, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Luxembourg on Monday.

The ministry contacted Hungarians in civil war-torn Sudan, as internet and phone services were restored for a short time, Szijjártó said.

Since Sunday, five Hungarians have been evacuated from Sudan. Another three are on their way to safe locations with the help of the UN, and two others are also being evacuated, he said.

“Another five people are in Khartoum, we have briefed them of options to evacuate and will coordinate further moves as soon that is possible,” the ministry statement cited Szijjártó as saying.