The 77 South Africans who were trapped in war-torn Sudan are expected to land in the country on Saturday afternoon.
Clayson Monyela, deputy director-general of public diplomacy at the Department of International Relations Cooperation said in a statement that the group would arrive at the O.R Tambo international airport just after 4pm.
“We can now confirm that all SA nationals we know of are out of Sudan. Evacuations like this are not easy and face multiple difficulties and frustrations. We appreciate the partnerships and collaboration of Gift of the Givers, countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
“A group of our nationals crossed from Port Sudan to Jeddah. Our Consul-General and his team received them and facilitated on-ground support. Their employer paid for flight tickets. The groups that were evacuated by buses from Khartoum have also crossed the border into Egypt. The government paid for two buses,” said Monyela.
He further thanked the Gift of the Givers for coordinating with officials and paid for an extra bus.
“The government has booked all into hotels in Egypt. The government will now pay for flight tickets for all. We also assisted several nationals from SADC countries.”
According to reports, the fight between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), left more than 420 people including 264 civilians dead and over 3 700 wounded.
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