More than 1,200 Nigerian students in the Republic of Sudan are appealing to their government for evacuation as a military confrontation between Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, intensifies.
The ongoing conflict has claimed at least 330 lives and left 3,200 people injured since it began on April 8th.
Displaced civilians have fled the capital, Khartoum, and several foreign countries, including Japan, Uganda, and Tanzania, have already started evacuating their nationals.
The National Association of Nigerian Students’ Secretary-General, Adam Mohammed, lamented that many students had run out of food and were experiencing electricity and telecommunication blackouts.
While no student has been hurt in the war, they are struggling with food shortages, with some unable to restock as a result of the conflict. Mohammed revealed that 1,262 Nigerian students had filled out evacuation forms as of Wednesday night.
The conflict began due to failed negotiations between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary group over integrating the two forces ahead of the intended restoration of civilian rule.
The disagreement centered on which general would be subordinate to the other, and how quickly the RSF would be incorporated into the Sudanese military.
Heavy fighting broke out on April 8th, and despite two ceasefires agreed upon by the warring factions, both failed to stop the violence.
Nigeria’s embassy in Sudan has spoken to the Nigerian government, and preparations are ongoing to evacuate Nigerian students.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has also been contacted to assist in the evacuation of Nigerian students.
Al-Ameen Ahmad, President of the Nasarawa State Students Association in Sudan, said the association had compiled a list of students that want to be evacuated back to Nigeria.
The situation concerning Nigerian students in Sudan is under control, according to the Secretary-General of NANS in Sudan. No Nigerian student has been hurt in the conflict, and they have all cooperated with the authorities by staying indoors.
However, students are still facing food shortages, and some are unable to restock due to the conflict’s intensity. The Nigerian government is making efforts to evacuate the stranded students.
