NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The following report reveals something of the 1,200 British personal involved in the evacuation of diplomats in Khartoum but gives no credit to UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, an excellent defence chief with an interesting military career.
The report says, British nationals, or those with UK passports, can tell the government if they are trapped in Sudan by using this form. More below.
Note that Russia is UN Security Council president in April. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to chair meetings. On Tuesday, there will be an open briefing and closed consultations on Sudan.
The UK (the penholder on the file) requested the meeting* to discuss developments in the country after fighting erupted on 15 April in and around Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces. At the time of writing, the briefers for the meeting had yet to be confirmed.
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Report from Sky News UK
Security and Defence Editor @haynesdeborah
Sunday 23 April 2023 18:00, BST UK
Exclusive
Sudan: How elite team of British troops evacuated UK diplomats from warzone capital
The team of British soldiers with the diplomats had to travel from their assembly point in Khartoum to the airfield - a journey of about 30km (18 miles), through multiple checkpoints.
The covert mission to evacuate British diplomats and their families from Sudan's warzone capital began under the cover of darkness.
A team of elite British troops flew into Khartoum late on Saturday night on board an American military aircraft that was part of a separate but coordinated US evacuation mission.
Upon landing, the British soldiers left their American counterparts, acquired a number of local vehicles and drove across the city towards where the UK embassy is located.
Play Video - British nationals 'remain a top priority 2:19
British nationals 'remain a top priority' says Foreign Secretary James Cleverly [pictured].
The British mission and its diplomats are in an area of Khartoum that sits between Sudan's two warring factions, making their extraction particularly perilous.
During the day on Saturday, those who were due to be rescued had gathered themselves together.
It was thought to be around two dozen British diplomats plus family members as well as a handful of officials from other nations that Britain had offered to help.
The troops met with the evacuation party of around 30 people, including children, and prepared for the extraction.
They had to assess the situation on the ground - the scene of deadly fighting for the past week and a half - and work out if it was safe enough to bring them out without more back-up.
In tandem with this first leg of the mission, two Royal Air Force transport planes - a C-130 Hercules and an A400M Airbus - had taken off from RAF Akrotiri, a sprawling British military base in Cyprus.
The aircraft, operating in coordination with the French and US armed forces and with permission from the Sudanese military, landed on a Sudanese airfield called Wadi Seidna which is about 30km north of Khartoum, at around 1am on Sunday morning, UK time.
This was about an hour and a half after the US aircraft - carrying the initial team of elite British soldiers - had landed in Khartoum.
The potentially most hazardous stage in the UK rescue mission came next.
The elite team of British soldiers with the diplomats had to travel from their assembly point in Khartoum to the airfield - a journey of about 30km (18 miles), through multiple checkpoints.
If heavy fighting was taking place, UK defence planners had been ready to send in more aircraft and troops, with the ability to "punch through" the checkpoints and reach the diplomats.
In that event, the soldiers with them would have been tasked with protecting the diplomats from the fighting until help came, rather than driving them out.
In the event, however, a window opened of relative calm to allow the soldiers on the ground to drive their passengers to the airfield.
A unit of troops from the two aircraft, which brought in vehicles as well for the operation, also mobilised and moved towards the incoming rescue team in case needed.
It was not immediately clear if the British troops encountered any gunfire or shelling.
Once at the airfield, the diplomats and families boarded the aircraft and the two British planes took off at around 9am, UK time, and headed back to Cyprus.
It is thought the aircraft had been on the ground for about seven to eight hours.
British nationals, or those with UK passports, can tell the government if they are trapped in Sudan by using this form [ https://www.register.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/sudan-20230422/register-your-presence-in-sudan-with-fcdo ]
View original and video interview:
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Details of evacuation revealed, with more than 1,200 personnel involved
Sky News has some more details about what the evacuation of British diplomats and their families entailed:
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said on Twitter: "The operation involved more than 1,200 British personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the RAF.
"I am grateful to all our partners including Cyprus. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces."
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A convoy seen on Sunday thought to be evacuating UN staff from Sudan
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, A convoy was seen on Sunday thought to be evacuating UN staff from Sudan
Source: BBC News 23 April 2023
Sudan fighting: Diplomats and foreign nationals evacuated:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65363586.amp
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Report from Sky News LIVE
Sunday 23 April 2023 14:39 BST UK - excerpt:
Passport doesn't have an automatic right to rescue, military analyst says
We asked him about the British nationals who are still in Sudan, having not been included in the initial rescue of diplomats and their families.
He said: "It's an unfortunate reality of life that whenever you get a British passport - or you get a passport from any country around the world - it doesn't automatically have written in it '...and you will be evacuated from any situation that you find yourself in'.
"First and foremost, there's an individual responsibility and, if you go into a country that you know is unstable, you're going in for a reason.
"It's usually to make lots of money, and you're usually going in with another international organisation or large corporate organisation who have the first responsibility to get their people out if the situation is worsening.
"It's only when it gets really bad that government step in."
But for those Britons who do not fit into this category, he said: "Stay inside, register your location (with the Foreign Office) and have the confidence that the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence will be looking for specific threats against British nationals and will let you know - but in this case no news is probably good news."
Full story at Sky News LIVE:
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*Report from What’s in Blue
Sunday 23 April 2023
THE WEEK AHEAD at the UN SECURITY COUNCIL
24-28 April 2023 - excerpt:
On Monday (24 April), Russia will convene a ministerial-level open debate on “Effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the UN Charter”, under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to chair the meeting. Secretary-General António Guterres is the anticipated briefer.
On Tuesday (25 April), the Security Council will convene for its quarterly open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland will brief at the meeting, which will be chaired by Lavrov.
Also on Tuesday, there will be an open briefing and closed consultations on Sudan. The UK (the penholder on the file) requested the meeting to discuss developments in the country after fighting erupted on 15 April in and around Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces. At the time of writing, the briefers for the meeting had yet to be confirmed.
Background information on many of these issues has been published in our April 2023 Monthly Forecast.
Further Council developments will be posted to What’s in Blue.
Follow us on Twitter @SCRtweets.
Source:
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[Ends]
