By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Cairo, which is accredited to the Republic of Sudan, has assured that they are in regular contact with the Sri Lankan nationals currently in Khartoum and its suburbs, in view of the ongoing situation.
Accordingly, issuing a statement in this regard, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Embassy is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Sudan, and has advised all Sri Lankan nationals residing in the conflict-affected areas on matters pertaining to their safety.
The Embassy can be reached via email – [email protected] and their telephone line – +201272813000.
For immediate assistance, the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Khartoum, Sayed Abdel, may be contacted on +249912394035.
The Sudanese ambassador to India, Abdalla Omer Bashir Elhusain, has stated that the request of the Indian government for the evacuation of its nationals from Sudan is currently under consideration by the authorities.
Sri Lanka also should follow suit soon as a sizable number of workers of the island nation are working in apparel factories and other sectors including Sr Lankan Army contingent attached to UN peacekeeping forces in Sudan, official sources said.
Battles continue to rage in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere between troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Daglo, commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The humanitarian situation in Sudan has significantly deteriorated, with the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) stating that 39 out of 59 hospitals in Khartoum and nearby states are “out of service”.
Western diplomats based in Khartoum have reported that about 270 civilians have been killed since the fighting began. Many Khartoum residents have fled, while others are trapped in their homes seeking shelter.
Analysts warn the conflict could draw in foreign armed groups and regional powers, and may have far-reaching consequences, not only for the northeast African country but also for an already unstable region.
A rapid military victory seems unlikely, experts agree, with al-Burhan’s army more powerful, but Hemedti’s RSF excelling in urban warfare. The stage appears set for a lasting conflict.
Battles have increased swiftly, engulfing Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman and several other regions, especially Darfur.
“The combat could quickly slide into a sustained war that risks rippling through the country’s restive peripheries into its neighbours,” the International Crisis Group says. “The hostilities have pushed the country toward the full-blown civil war Sudanese have dreaded for years.”
Cameron Hudson – of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies – says the violence could escalate across Sudan’s borders.
“The challenge is that the conflict … is spread on every corner of the country – on the border with Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia,” Hudson says.
