Jakarta. Indonesia has evacuated 43 of its citizens who are stuck in Sudan’s war zone to its Khartoum embassy, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday. 

A clash between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is now taking place. 

Government data shows there are 1,209 Indonesians in Sudan, many of whom are students who live in Khartoum. Indonesia has turned its Khartoum embassy into a safe house for those trapped in the war zones and 43 Indonesians are now sheltering there.

“We will continue to work on the evacuation preparations while also waiting for the right time to evacuate people by also considering the safety of the Indonesian citizens. Safety is of our utmost priority,” Retno told a virtual press briefing.

The raging conflict has made it difficult for countries to evacuate their citizens from Khartoum.

“I have just contacted our ambassador in Khartoum. To this day, no foreign citizens have been evacuated from Khartoum,” Retno said.

“I have chaired the coordination meeting on evacuation preparations with Indonesian embassies in Khartoum, Cairo, Riyadh, and Addis Ababa, as well as our consulate-general in Jeddah,” Retno said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the Sudan clash death toll has reached 300 people. The conflict has left more than 3,000 people wounded. 

Indonesia is also urging the UN Security Council to immediately conduct an emergency meeting.

“At least a meeting on the need for a humanitarian pause. A humanitarian pause is crucial at this time. Without a humanitarian pause, it would be tough to evacuate people and deliver humanitarian assistance,” Retno said.

The Indonesian Embassy in Khartoum has issued emergency hotlines, namely +249 90 797 8701, +249 90 007 9060, and +249 90 010 5466. The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s citizen protection hotline is also available at +62 812 9007 0027.

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