The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has stated its readiness to transport Ghanaian nationals trapped in Sudan’s conflict.

According to the ministry, Ghanaian nationals affected by the conflict, particularly students, will be safely transported back to the country. Despite the conflict in the country, Ghana’s Honorary Consulate in Khartoum reports that all of its nationals are safe.

It elaborated that so far, all Ghanaians in Sudan are safe, and the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt which has concurrent accreditation to the Sudan, is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as well as the Honorary Consulate in Sudan to secure safe passage for Ghanaians to Ethiopia.

“Government wishes to assure the general public, in particular, the families and acquaintances of Ghanaians in the Sudan that every effort is being made to ensure the safety of their loved ones until their arrival in Ghana.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration

In the past week, the ministry recounted that the Republic of Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in avoidable casualties.

Khartoum, the capital, the ministry explained, has been the epicenter of the clashes with civilians being most affected.

“The Government of Ghana joins the International Community to appeal to the warring factions to cease fire and allow negotiations to resume for the sake of the peace and safety of the People of Sudan.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration

Renewed tension in Sudan’s conflict

The deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary, Rapid Support Forces, has led to hundreds of casualties and cut the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the Sudan from humanitarian support.

The violence follows days of tension as members of the RSF were redeployed around the country last week in a move that the army saw as a threat. Prior to this, there had been some hope that talks could resolve the situation but these never happened.

It is disputed who fired the first shot but fighting has since escalated in different parts of the country with almost 100 civilians dying, according to a Sudanese doctors’ union.

The fighting is the latest episode in bouts of tension that followed the ousting of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. There were huge street protests calling for an end to his near-three decade rule and the army mounted a coup to get rid of him. However, civilians continued to campaign for a return to democratic rule.

Meanwhile, the government has joined the international community to appeal to the warring factions to cease fire and allow negotiations to resume for the sake of the peace and safety of the People of the Sudan. The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had agreed a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Tuesday, but the truce collapsed within minutes of its proposed launch at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT).

A new ceasefire with the same timing was put forward by the RSF on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, of which the army stated that it would abide by the truce. Nonetheless, gunfire was heard across the capital.

Witnesses reported heavily armed RSF fighters patrolling the city on pick-up trucks, while fighter jets loyal to the military conducted strikes on targets believed to be held by the paramilitary forces.

A shortage of fuel and a lack of public transport has seen many of those fleeing forced to do so on foot, with some seeking to get passage to central and western Sudan – where their families live on flatbed trucks.