Indonesia Evacuates Nearly 1,000 Citizens from Conflict-Ridden Sudan

Indonesia Evacuates Nearly 1,000 Citizens from Conflict-Ridden Sudan (photo: Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images)
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Indonesia has quickly taken action to protect its citizens amidst the ongoing power struggle in Sudan. The country’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, announced that the evacuation of Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Sudan has been carried out for 949 people.

The breakdown of WNI who were evacuated includes 930 people through Jeddah, 13 people through Egypt, and 6 people through the United Arab Emirates. According to the official statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Retno said that a total of 829 Indonesians have been repatriated to Indonesia.

“An update on the evacuation of WNI from Sudan. As of today, a total of 949 WNI have been evacuated from Sudan with details, 930 people evacuated through Jeddah, 13 people evacuated via Egypt, and 6 people evacuated via the United Arab Emirates. A total of 829 WNI have been repatriated to Indonesia, all through Jeddah,” she said.

Retno explained that the repatriation of WNI was carried out in three stages before arriving in Jakarta. She mentioned that 385 people had arrived in Jakarta on April 28, 2023, via Garuda Indonesia. In addition, for the second stage, 363 people arrived in Jakarta on April 30, 2023, also via Garuda Indonesia.

For the third stage, 75 people arrived on May 1 with an Indonesian Air Force plane. Meanwhile, 6 WNI arranged their return independently. Furthermore, the fourth repatriation stage is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta via Garuda Indonesia, with 100 people planned to arrive on Tuesday (2/5/2023).

“We should be grateful that the evacuation process of WNI has been carried out well amidst many countries still trying to evacuate their citizens from Sudan,” she added.

Retno also expressed her appreciation and thanks to the Egyptian government and the United Arab Emirates for assisting in the evacuation of some Indonesian citizens from Sudan.

To ensure the safety of its citizens, the Indonesian government has taken swift action in the midst of the ongoing power struggle in Sudan. With nearly 1,000 citizens evacuated and repatriated to Indonesia, the country has shown its commitment to protecting its people abroad.

The repatriation process, which was carried out in three stages, involved the use of planes from both Garuda Indonesia and the Indonesian Air Force. The fourth stage is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta with an additional 100 people.

The successful evacuation of Indonesian citizens from Sudan was a result of coordinated efforts between the Indonesian government and the governments of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister expressed her appreciation for their assistance in ensuring the safety of Indonesian citizens during the ongoing conflict in Sudan.