Sudan crisis: Over 800 Nigerian arrive in Abuja

More Nigerians arrived from war-torn Sudan on Sunday, May 7, as the federal government airlifted them into the nation’s capital, Abuja.

In all, over 800 Nigerians fleeing war-torn Sudan arrived in Abuja today. They were airlifted via Max Air, Azman and Tarco Airlines.

On the ground to receive them at the airport are officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), as well as security officials.

About 102 Nigerians came in onboard the Tarco Airlines that departed Port Sudan, and another 322 Nigerians onboard the Asman Air from Aswan, Egypt, while others came aboard Max.

It was gathered that returnees left Port Sudan International Airport around 5:25 am on Sunday and landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 12:40 pm.

Business Post had reported that a first batch of Nigerians fleeing the conflict in Sudan arrived at the country’s capital, Abuja, late on Wednesday, May 3, and received N100,000 cash each for transportation to their various homes.

The batch comprised 376 persons out of the 5,500 disclosed by the federal government as against the expected 2,600 announced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms Sadiya Farouq, received the evacuees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the early hours of Thursday, May 4.

Besides the N100,000 cash, the Minister disclosed that the returnees also got other gift items.

Meanwhile, representatives from Sudan’s warring armies have arrived in Saudi Arabia for their first face-to-face negotiations.

The pre-negotiation talks, sponsored by the US and Saudi Arabia, between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were due to start on Saturday in Jeddah but were delayed.

Several ceasefires have broken down since the fighting began weeks ago.

Both sides have said they will discuss a humanitarian truce but not an end to the conflict.

For the past three weeks, the North African country has been engulfed in a conflict (since April 15) as General Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the armed forces, and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of a paramilitary group known as the RSF that grew out of Darfur’s notorious Janjaweed militias, seek to seize control of Sudan.

The fighting, which began as the country attempted to transition to democracy, has killed hundreds of over 500 people and left millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters.