Irish EU ambassador to Sudan speaks of being attacked. Jordanian embassy in Khartoum ransacked

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The following report tells us Ambassador O'Hara was not the only diplomat to have such an experience as “very few” diplomatic premises were untouched. Also, a news report below says the Jordanian embassy in Khartoum was overrun and and sabotaged today.

Report from The Irish Times

By Vivienne Clarke

Dated Friday 12 May 2023; 15:15 - full copy:

Irish EU ambassador to Sudan speaks of relief at being unhurt after military ‘stormed’ home

Aidan O’Hara, who was interrogated and held at gunpoint, says he was not the only diplomat to have such an experience

Aidan O'Hara, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Sudan. Photograph: Aidan O'Hara/Twitter 

EU ambassador to Sudan Aidan O’Hara, who was assaulted after armed men in military fatigues “stormed” his home in Khartoum last month, has told of his relief that he was unhurt during the incident.

While the assault had been stressful, he told RTÉ Radio’s News at One, it had been more stressful hearing bombs explode and gunfire on the streets close to his home.

The good news, the Irishman added, was that although he had been interrogated and had been held at gunpoint, the incident lasted about 45 minutes. He was not the only diplomat to have such an experience as “very few” diplomatic premises were untouched.

Mr O’Hara was a long-serving diplomat in the Department of Foreign Affairs before he became an EU ambassador.

His experience of getting out of Sudan had been eventful with a bomb being dropped close to the convoy during the transfer by French military to the airbase from which they were evacuated. “This was obviously a consular operation, but it was also a military operation. And I think it had to be conducted in very strict terms.”

Until the outbreak of hostilities, Mr O’Hara had been conducting talks with the military and civilian authorities in an effort to keep the civilian process on track, he said. “And then everything came apart on the morning of April 15th.

“My memory of that morning was not that unusual because there are so many armed groups in Khartoum you sometimes hear volleys of gunfire. But on April 15th, it was a Friday and gunfire was quite close to the house, followed by explosions, followed by a lot of black smoke.

“That was the first time there was quite a clear signal that everything had changed. The important thing for me afterwards is that I’m fine and I was unhurt. And it wasn’t a pleasant experience, obviously. But what I think was it was not the most dreadful thing that happened to me, and it was a week to 10 days during the conflict while I was present, I think like everybody else in Khartoum, and elsewhere and in Sudan, what was more stressful was being at home with bombs falling and gunfire on the streets.

“I think I consider myself very fortunate now to be out of Khartoum and still trying to work on the political process and to get the civilian rhythm back on track. But I’m very relieved that I was unhurt. And if I can just say a very big thank you to so many people who reached out to a variety of means to see whether I was okay and to inquire about my welfare and to give me support. And I think of my colleagues in the External Action Service, my colleagues in the Department of Foreign affairs and the Tánaiste too.

“But so many friends and so many people who I’ve met at some point in the past, even going back to my school days, who somehow managed to find me. And I am very grateful for that. I’ve tried to reply to some people, but there are now so many. It’s been quite overwhelming and I don’t know if I’ll get to reply to everybody in person. So this is a very welcome opportunity to say thank you to people, even though I haven’t been in touch with them”.

Mr O’Hara said he hoped to get back to Khartoum at the earliest opportunity.

View original: https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2023/05/12/irish-eu-ambassador-to-sudan-speaks-of-relief-at-being-unhurt-after-military-stormed-home/

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Report from The National

Agencies contributed to this report

Dated Monday 15 May 2023 - excerpt:

Jordanian embassy in Khartoum ransacked as Sudan fighting rages

The Jordanian embassy in Khartoum was “overrun and sabotaged” on Monday, the kingdom's foreign ministry said, as the Sudanese army conducted air raids against Rapid Support Forces targets in the capital.

No Jordanian diplomats were harmed as none were there, with Jordan having moved staff to the nearby city of Port Sudan weeks ago.

An official from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates told state television that the “Jordanian diplomatic mission in Sudan is all right”.

“The embassy's building in Khartoum was overrun and sabotaged,” an official Jordanian statement said, without naming the perpetrators.

“The foreign ministry condemns the assault, and all forms of sabotage and violence, especially those targeting diplomatic missions.”

Read full story: https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2023/05/15/jordanian-embassy-in-khartoum-ransacked-as-sudan-fighting-rages/

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UN Rights Council votes to strengthen monitoring of abuses in Sudan

Report from IBT

By Nina LARSON, AFP

Dated Thursday 11 May 2023 AT 11:51 AM EDT - full copy:

UN Rights Council Votes To Strengthen Monitoring Of Abuses In Sudan

The UN Human Rights Council held a special session on the situation in Sudan AFP

The United Nations top rights body narrowly decided Thursday to beef up monitoring of abuses amid Sudan's spiralling conflict, despite vehement opposition from Khartoum.

The UN Human Rights Council's 47 members voted with 18 in favour, 15 opposed and 14 abstaining for a resolution calling for an end to the violence and strengthening the mandate of a UN expert on Sudan.

The resolution was adopted during a special council session, called following a request by Britain, Germany, Norway and the United States, and with the support of dozens of countries, to urgently address the violence that erupted in Sudan on April 15.

The tight vote came after Arab countries and others, including China, called for countries to oppose the resolution, maintaining it infringed upon Sudan's sovereignty, and African countries urged finding "African solutions to African problems".

But backers of the text insisted it was vital for the council to act swiftly.

"This is a really important day" British ambassador Simon Manley told AFP, hailing the council for its "vote for peace."

Nearly a month into Sudan's bloody conflict, civilians are still trying to flee, boarding evacuation planes with just a few belongings and leaving behind their homes, relatives and lives.

More than 750 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the fighting that began on April 15 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting has plunged "this much-suffering country into catastrophe", United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said at the start of the one-day session.

Decrying "the wanton violence", he called on "all states with influence in the region to encourage, by all possible means, the resolution of this crisis".

Thursday's council session in Geneva was called to urgently address a situation that everyone present agreed was dire.

But the mandate adopted was not very strong.

It called "for an immediate cessation of violence by all parties, without pre-conditions", but refrained from ordering any new investigation into abuses.

Instead, it ordered the existing Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Sudan to provide "detailed monitoring and documentation of... all allegations of human rights violations and abuses since the 25 October 2021, including those arising directly from the current conflict", and to report his findings to the council.

Even with such a weak text, it barely squeaked past.

Sudan's ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan vehemently opposed the special session and the resolution, insisting to the council that "what is happening in Sudan is an internal affair" and cautioning the session could distract from efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire.

Without Sudan's blessing, other African and Arab countries said they would not be able to support the resolution, while some other countries also expressed opposition.

"The international community should respect Sudan's sovereignty and ownership of internal affairs," China's ambassador Chen Xu said.

Critics also charged that there had been no need to rush to hold a special session when the rights council's next regular session is only weeks away.

But US ambassador Michele Taylor insisted that "the devastating human rights and humanitarian conflict in Sudan over the past four weeks is truly heart-wrenching."

"We needed to act with urgency because of the enormous gravity and suffering of the people of Sudan today."

View original: https://www.ibtimes.com/un-rights-council-votes-strenthen-monitoring-abuses-sudan-3692661

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Turkish embassy in Khartoum to relocate to Port Sudan after ambassador's vehicle targeted by gunfire

Report from China.org.cn

By Xinhua

Dated Sunday 07 May 2023 - excerpts:

Turkish embassy in Khartoum to relocate to Port Sudan

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Saturday that Türkiye has decided to relocate its embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to Port Sudan, in response to an earlier incident where the Turkish ambassador's vehicle was targeted by gunfire.

"For the safety of our embassy and our colleagues, we decided to move our embassy to Port Sudan," Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the semi-official Anadolu Agency. […]

After the incident, the RSF and the Sudanese army exchanged accusations. The RSF claimed that the area where the attack occurred was under military control and reiterated its commitment to protecting diplomatic missions in the country. Conversely, the army attributed responsibility to the RSF for the assault.

View original: http://www.china.org.cn/world/2023-05/07/content_85270841.htm

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Canada suspends Sudan consular services as diplomats evacuated to “temporarily work from a safe location outside the country” to help citizens in Sudan

Report from THE CANADIAN PRESS

By Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Sunday 23 April 2023 12:30 p.m. - full copy:

Canada suspends Sudan consular services as diplomats evacuated

More than 420 people killed, thousands injured in conflict between government and paramilitary group

Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 22, 2023. The fighting in the capital between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces resumed after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed. Ottawa has suspended consular services in Sudan as reports merge of allied countries evacuating Canadian diplomats. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Marwan Ali

Canada suspended consular services in Sudan on Sunday (April 23) amid reports of allied countries evacuating Canadian diplomats and as armed conflict escalates in the East-African country.

Global Affairs Canada said Canadian diplomats would “temporarily work from a safe location outside the country” while still trying to help citizens in Sudan.

The Associated Press reports that more than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.

Those deaths occurred in just nine days after power-sharing negotiations between the two groups deteriorated.

Global Affairs said there were 1,596 Canadian citizens formally registered as being in Sudan as of Saturday.

But Nicholas Coghlan, Canada’s former top envoy to Sudan, said in a Sunday interview that the number is likely “considerably higher,” with many being dual nationals.

He said many Canadians abroad see registering as a needless hassle, while others believe their information will be shared with other branches of government such as the Canada Revenue Agency, despite laws preventing such data transfers.

Coghlan was also Canada’s first ambassador to South Sudan when it separated from that country in 2011, and he oversaw an evacuation of citizens after a civil war broke out in 2013.

At that time, less than 20 Canadian citizens were registered in South Sudan, but roughly 140 ended up being evacuated in less than a week.

Canada first evacuated those easily reachable in the capital of Juba who wanted to leave, and then worked to identify others and get them onto roughly weekly flights operated by one of Canada’s allies.

The ongoing situation in Sudan is likely different, Coghlan said, because the clashing forces are deliberately targeting airports as strategic locations in a turf war.

The Associated Press reports that fighting at the country’s main international airport in the capital city of Khartoum has destroyed civilian planes and damaged at least one runway.

Canada’s embassy sits near that airport, making it one of the most dangerous areas in the country, Coghlan said.

The New York Times reported Sunday that U.S. special forces evacuated six Canadian diplomats, along with 70 American diplomats and some from other countries.

The BBC, meanwhile, reported Canadians were among a group evacuated by sea to Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs did not immediately confirm those reports.

Overland travel through contested areas has proven dangerous. Khartoum is about 840 kilometres from Port Sudan, on the Red Sea. Both the country’s militias have accused each other of obstructing evacuations.

Coghlan said Sunday’s announced suspension of consular services means Canadian citizens who need emergency passports to leave Sudan likely have no chance of getting them, because Ottawa deemed it too risky to keep a scaled-down operation running in the country.

He said many dual nationals likely have expired passports or insufficient paperwork to get on a flight.

Some registered Canadians likely work for the United Nations or aid organizations, who can help extract them, but many will be private citizens with family ties to Sudan who will be left to their own devices.

Reports from Sudan’s Arqin border crossing with Egypt suggest 30 packed coaches were trying to reach safety.

Sudan experienced a “near-total collapse” of countrywide internet and phone connections Sunday, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks.

Coghlan said many Sudanese will likely feel let down by western countries, particularly those critical of how the world handled the heads of the two duelling forces ever since an October 2021 coup d’état.

“The signal that’s been sent there is (that) there is a perception of people leaving the sinking ship,” he said,

“That’s how it looks, a sense of abandonment, for sure.”

The federal government is not evacuating its locally hired Sudanese staff, saying it is “looking at all possible options to support them.”

Coghlan said the issue of how to handle locals is always sensitive.

“The harsh reality is they are typically left to their own devices,” he said.

“That’s controversial within Global Affairs (Canada), out of a sense that we depend on these people 100 per cent.”

Last summer, the Liberals came under fire over allegations that Canada did not heed intelligence warnings about the safety of its Ukraine embassy’s locally engaged staff ahead of Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion. The allegations, which have not been proven, include claims that other western countries had evacuated Ukrainians listed as targets by Moscow.

Coghlan said the current Sudan conflict, unlike the Ukraine invasion and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, does not have a focus on western policy.

He stressed that situation is dynamic and he does not have the full facts surrounding Ottawa’s choice to pull out diplomats and end consular services.

“The minister had a very hard decision to make here,” he said. “It’s very easy to be an armchair quarterback on this.”

READ ALSO: Why Sudan’s conflict matters to the rest of the world

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View original:

https://www.westerlynews.ca/news/canada-suspends-sudan-consular-services-as-diplomats-evacuated/

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Plans to evacuate Irish citizens in Sudan. Irish EU Ambassador violently assaulted at home in Khartoum

Report from Independent Ireland

By Ralph Riegel

April 21 2023 03:08 PM - full copy

Plans to evacuate Irish citizens as civil war escalates in Sudan

THE Government is planning to evacuate all Irish citizens from war-torn Sudan once it is safe to do so.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government was monitoring the escalating civil strife in Sudan very carefully but refused to discuss evacuation plans of Irish citizens for reasons of operational security.

Ireland is understood to be working with other EU countries to extract citizens once there is a lull in the fighting around Khartoum.

Sudan has descended into civil war amid a violent power struggle between the army and a heavily armed paramilitary group.

Heavy fighting has erupted in major population centres across the country - with shelling and missile strikes around Khartoum Airport.

All civilians have been urged to stay indoors and remain safely sheltered until the fighting eases.

A Sudan-based Irish diplomat, Aidan O'Hara (58), who is also serving as EU Ambassador, was violently assaulted earlier this week after a robbery at his residence as security chaos spread across the country.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin strongly condemned the attack and warned Sudan it was responsible for the safety of all diplomats in the country.

Mr O'Hara was confronted by armed robbers dressed in military fatigues and assaulted during the confrontation.

Miraculously, he escaped serious injury and is now said to be recovering and "in good shape."

The incident is understood to have been a robbery of opportunity and not a deliberate attack on the Irish diplomat.

The Taoiseach said Ireland was now working very closely with its allies to ensure the safety of its citizens in the vast African country.

Ireland has a significant number of citizens based in Sudan - many of whom are based there because of aid agency work.

"We have some work ongoing at the moment - that is being coordinated by the Tánaiste (Micheál Martin), the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Defence," Mr Varadkar said.

"I am not at liberty to say too much about it."

"But we are aware that there are quite a number of Irish citizens in Sudan and we have a responsibility to our citizens around the world to ensure their safety as best we can. Some work has been done."

The German military had planned an airlift of its nationals from Sudan three days ago but had to cancel it amid safety concerns over heavy fighting around airfields in Khartoum.

Germany has around 150 citizens in Sudan and decided to cancel the Luftwaffe evacuation because of heavy fighting near airfields as repeated efforts to broker a local ceasefire failed.

Both factions fighting in Sudan have access to heavy weaponry - and any airlift without a firm ceasefire was considered too high a risk.

Ireland is now understood to be liaising with allies within the EU about an evacuation.

Irish nationals are expected to be extracted via an effort led by Germany, France, the US or the Nordic bloc countries.

The elite Army Ranger Wing may be offered to assist with any evacuation of EU nationals from Sudan.

However, Ireland does not have a heavy air-lift capacity to extract citizens from Sudan.

View original: https://www.independent.ie/news/plans-to-evacuate-irish-citizens-as-civil-war-escalates-in-sudan-42443337.html

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