Nigerian govt sets up committee to rescue nationals in Sudan

The Federal Government has set up a committee to rescue Nigerian citizens trapped in troubled Sudan.

Forces loyal to the Sudanese President, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his estranged deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, are battling for control of the North African country.

At least 413 people had been killed and more than 3,500 injured since the fighting began between the country’s two most powerful generals and their respective military units last week.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday by its Head of Press Unit, Manzo Ezekiel.

The agency said the committee comprising professional emergency responders and search and rescue experts would constantly evaluate the situation and find a way to evacuate Nigerians in the country.

READ ALSO: Sudan allows evacuations of foreign nationals as fighting resumes between rival forces

The announcement came just 24 hours after the federal government expressed concern over its inability to evacuate Nigerians living in Sudan.

The Sudanese president on Saturday agreed to the evacuation of citizens and diplomatic representatives from the country.

A spokesman for the Sudanese Army said in a statement that the United States, Britain, France, and China would begin the evacuation of their nationals from the capital Khartoum using military aircraft “in the coming hours.”

He said Al-Burhan has promised to facilitate the evacuation and to provide the countries with the necessary support to ensure the airlift of their citizens.

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