Officials working to get Thai nationals out of Sudan amidst clashes

Thai officials are working to get Thai nationals out of Sudan amidst violent clashes currently plaguing the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) plans to meet with the military today to plan the evacuation of Thai nationals from Sudan, Bangkok Post reports.

The international airport in Khartoum has been closed, making it difficult for the Thai nationals to leave the country.

The clashes broke out on April 15 between forces allied with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who jointly seized power in a 2021 coup. The violence resulted from a dispute over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. At least 270 people have been killed and over 2,600 injured in the violence so far.

There are around 300 Thais living in Sudan, of whom around 200 are Muslim students at the International University of Africa in Khartoum. According to Rachada Dhnadirek, Deputy Government Spokeswoman, no Thais have been killed or harmed in the unrest. The Department of Consular Affairs has approved funding to provide aid for those affected in the northeast African nation.

However, the airport’s closure has made evacuation impossible. Rachada has encouraged Thais in Sudan to register with the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo for emergency help and evacuation support. She said that they can call +201-0194-01243 or get in contact by email.

Kanchana Patarachoke, the director-general of the MFA’s Department of Information, said that the ministry would meet with the military to plan the evacuation of Thai nationals from Sudan. Additionally, Chanathan Saengphum, Deputy Secretary-General of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, said that provisions were being sent to Thais in need.

This episode of violence is the latest in Sudan’s long history of conflict. The second Sudanese civil war began in 1983, and lasted until 2005. A key factor in country’s conflicts are ethnic and religious tensions, including those between Arabs and non-Arabs. An issue related to this has been the enforcement of Sharia law in the country.