Examiner.ie - Defence Forces to be deployed to Sudan for evacuation of Irish citizens - 24 Apr 23


Defence Forces to be deployed to Sudan for evacuation of Irish citizens

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that 'every effort is being made to assist' the Irish citizens in Sudan. Picture: AP Photo/Marwan Ali


Up to 12 members of the Defence Forces will travel to Sudan to assist in the evacuation of over 150 Irish citizens.

The decision comes after an incorporeal Cabinet meeting was convened on Sunday as the situation continues to deteriorate in Sudan.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is in contact with over 150 Irish citizens and is working with international partners to arrange their evacuation.

The Taoiseach has said every effort will be made to provide assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan.

The Defence Forces members will be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) Department of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Defence.

In a statement, the Department said the government remains “deeply concerned” by the situation in Sudan and the Irish Embassy in Nairobi and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin are in ongoing contact with over 150 Irish citizens in Sudan.

“The Department has also been working actively with our international partners to arrange for the evacuation of Irish citizens.

“Such evacuation operations are highly sensitive given the volatile security situation on the ground,” a spokesperson said.

The ECAT mission will provide consular and other assistance to Irish citizens and their dependents being evacuated from Sudan.

Mr Varadkar said the situation on the ground in Sudan “remains extremely volatile” and wished the ECAT team “every success in this mission.” “Today’s decision by government is a continuation of the substantial, intensive work that the Department of Foreign Affairs has been engaged in since this recent outbreak of violence in Sudan.

“Above all, our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time,” Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin said.

Officials of the Department will arrive in Djibouti today and the duration of the mission will be dependent on the progress that can be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners.

The Department is currently in contact with Irish citizens who have registered with the Irish Embassy.

Citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the Embassy's out of hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000.