France evacuated 538 people from Sudan by air on Tuesday, including 209 French nationals, 5 Indians, and 329 nationals from 41 other countries.
The United Kingdom, France, South Korea, and a number of other countries reported that they were pulling out their nationals after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a three-day ceasefire.
The challenges in the evacuation operation were explained further by French diplomatic sources.
They stated that the evacuation is complicated because the security situation on the ground is dangerous.
According to the diplomatic sources, the choice to include nationals of many other countries and the fact that all evacuation options (ground and air) were left open during the planning stage until the last moment when the air bridge was decided, properly depicts the intricacies of the operation.
The mission involved French military assets in Africa, particularly the French forces based in Djibouti. It was closely coordinated with allies, partners, and the Djibouti authorities whose assistance was critical.
The French diplomatic sources further said, “The air bridge was made feasible by operational capabilities of the French Armed forces and to diplomatic efforts, including calls to both Sudanese parties to ensure security conditions for evacuation”.
Before launching ‘Operation Sagittarius’, the daring rescue of foreign nationals from Sudan, French President Emmanuel Macron and foreign minister Catherine Colonna called the head of the Sudanese army, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhane, and his former deputy turned rival, Mohammed ‘Hemedti’ Hamdan Daglo.
French Armed Forces first conducted a reconnaissance operation between the airport (20km from Khartoum) and the assembly points to ensure the itinerary’s feasibility.
According to French diplomatic sources, the air bridge was then launched at 6 am on Sunday and many air rotations have since taken place, each carrying approximately 100 passengers.
In other situations, French troops had to pick up French nationals who were stranded in Khartoum and unable to join the assembly locations on their own.
This French operation has also opened the door for other countries to send flights to this airport and evacuate their nationals with France ensuring coordination with Sudanese military forces to manage the landing of aircraft from other nations.
France also deployed the French Navy Frigate Lorraine at Port Sudan on Tuesday to assist in the evacuation of a UN convoy of 1700 people.
