OTTAWA — Canada flew two evacuation flights out of Sudan Thursday, with a total of 118 passengers, and is planning more flights in the days to come.
Seniors officials speaking on background told reporters in Ottawa there were about 580 Canadians left in the country, which has seen an outbreak of violence since April 15 as two factions of the country’s military regime fight for power.
How many Canadians were left after the two evacuation flights was unclear mid-day Thursday, because the nationalities of those on board hadn’t been confirmed. Canada had already evacuated over 200 individuals prior to the flights.
The flights are headed to Djibouti, and from there to Nairobi, Kenya, where Canada has a permanent mission that is “ready to receive people.”
Of the Canadians who are left, over 90 have chosen not to leave, and another 130 are considering it, while 108 have said they do want to leave.
Officials cautioned that the numbers are in flux, and noted that some of the people on the government’s list would have already left themselves across land borders or chosen to stay. “We’re trying to get more and more fidelity on those numbers,” an official said.
Officials said Canada is “planning for future extractions from the area in the days to come.”
A number of factors are influencing those plans, including what happens with a ceasefire that’s about to expire, and that the runaway at the airport is becoming unserviceable. Another barrier is concerns about getting to the airport, including increasing amounts of extortion.
“It’s a very tenuous situation on the ground,” an official said. “We’re concerned that over the past few days, during the ceasefire, both sides have had a chance to reconstitute and resupply,” which could lead to increased fighting.
Over 200 Canadian Armed Forces soldiers are on the ground.
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