Sudan Crisis:7000 stranded as Nigerian Students Accuses Govt of Neglect

Nigerian students who are stranded in Sudan due to the ongoing crisis have accused the Federal Government of leaving them behind in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. Meanwhile, the hopes of Nigerians stranded in Sudan to return to Nigeria on Friday were dashed. This was amidst the controversy surrounding their evacuation from the crisis-torn country.

The government had earlier released N150 million to hire 40 buses to transport its desperate citizens from Sudan to Cairo, Egypt. The Central Bank of Nigeria through the National Emergency Management Agency reportedly paid the money to an undisclosed transport company on Tuesday at 12:37 pm.

On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that the Nigerian Air Force, Air Peace, and other airlines had been cleared to fly to Egypt to pick up the stranded Nigerians. However, the evacuation of 2,400 students and other Nigerians who are trapped by the ongoing conflict in Sudan has taken a slow start.

This is because only 15 out of the 40 buses required for the exercise have been provided. Despite the end of the ceasefire by the warring Sudanese forces, stranded Nigerians, particularly students, have lamented that the embassy had not made available any buses for their evacuation as of Thursday.

Speaking with the press on Friday, the President of the Association of Yoruba Student Union in Sudan, Mubarak Ahmed, said, “Students are still here in Khartoum, stuck. The government and the embassy here in Khartoum are playing cats and dogs with our lives.

“Evacuations are still ongoing for other nationals regardless of the cease-fire. The cease-fire is not an issue but the government is not ready to evacuate us.

“One of us needs a dental intervention because he was attacked three days ago while going to get water. Two or three of his teeth were removed and bleeding profusely internally and externally.

“We could not do much because we lack first aid and hospitals are shut down. We could only stitch the injury but not pretty good and he is among those stranded till now, (he is) a student at the International University of Africa. They are just confusing everybody,” Ahmed added.
The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, Ezekiel Manzo, blamed the problem on a border issue.

“But the problem is the border 0for them to cross into Egypt and that is the reason why their arrival in Abuja today (Friday) will no longer be possible. Assuming they are already in Egypt, the promised time for their arrival would still have been possible today.

“They are still at the border. So, we have to wait. I am not justifying this but these nationals are escaping from a war zone, and it is natural for the government of Egypt to tighten up its nodes around the border.

On Friday, the Embassy of Nigeria in Sudan announced that the second phase of the evacuation exercise for stranded Nigerians in Khartoum to Egypt would begin on Saturday. The Charge d’Affairs, H. Y. Garko, signed a statement conveying this information. It is noteworthy that the first batch of evacuees was transported out of Sudan on Wednesday.

The statement read, “The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Sudan, wishes to inform all Nigerian citizens who wish to be evacuated from the crisis in Sudan, that the embassy will commence the second phase of evacuation to Egypt for onward airlift to Nigeria, tomorrow (today) April 29, 2023.

“All those interested are expected to converge at Al-Razi University (Al-Azhari) and the International University of Africa (Madani Street) in the morning. Individuals are required to come along with one bag only. Please, adhere strictly.”