Three Bundeswehr evacuation planes have already taken off from Sudan. British citizens, on the other hand, continue to wait to be rescued.
After the evacuation of British diplomats from Sudan, the government in London has been criticized. Several British citizens complained in the media that they felt left alone.
The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, Alicia Kearns, told BBC Radio 4 that more than 1,000 Britons are believed to have wanted to be brought to safety. “These are sometimes big families. I suspect that there are 3,000, 4,000 or more people,” said the conservative politician.
“The situation is completely desperate”
Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell defended the operation. Rescuing embassy staff was a priority because there had been a “very specific threat against the diplomatic community” in the capital, Khartoum, Mitchell told Sky News. He assured that the government is doing what it can.
Before a ceasefire, however, there is little chance of help, also because the airfields are fought over. “The situation is absolutely desperate and a ceasefire is needed. And the only advice Britain can give people is to stay indoors because that’s the safe option,” said the Conservative politician.
British evacuation plan called for
“If there isn’t going to be an evacuation because it’s too dangerous, we have a moral obligation to let British citizens know that decision as soon as possible so that they can make their own decisions,” Kearns said. Defense Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood, also Conservative, called for a clear evacuation plan for Britons.
A Briton named William told the BBC he left Khartoum on a bus belonging to his Sudanese employer because “we’ve heard nothing but nonsense from the government”. Briton Iman Abugarga told the Telegraph newspaper: “It’s a shame how badly they are handling this situation.”
The first comparisons were made in the media with the chaotic withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan last summer, during which many Britons or auxiliaries stayed behind.
