Elite troops take home UK embassy staff in airlift from Sudan

Soldiers escort evacuees through Khartoum checkpoints heading for airfield north of the city

The UK is one of dozens of countries taking diplomatic staff out of Khartoum. EPA

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More than 1,200 military personnel were sent to evacuate British diplomats and their families from Sudan on Sunday.

Elite British troops flew into Khartoum on board an American military aircraft, media reports revealed.

In about an hour, the troops drove to the British embassy, picked up evacuees, made their way through battle-scarred Khartoum to a departure airfield and were soon in the air again.

When the team landed in Khartoum, they rounded up a number of local vehicles and drove to the embassy.

At least 30 people, including children, were in the evacuation party. Other reports put the number closer to 100.

The troops escorted the evacuees through several checkpoints heading for Wadi Seidna, about 30km north of Khartoum.

Two Royal Air Force transport planes from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus landed at the airfield.

The Hercules and A400M Atlas planes are propeller-driven, so better suited to the rough airfield than jet aircraft. They took off as soon as they could.

The 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the RAF were involved in the evacuation of the embassy in Khartoum, the Foreign Office said.

The Sudanese army have been fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for more than a week and more than 400 people were reported to have been killed.

Speaking to the BBC, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the evacuation was complex, as the embassy was located between the two warring factions' headquarters.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to the “bravery” of the military personnel and the “commitment” of embassy staff.

“UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan,” he said.

He thanked the Egyptian government for its assistance in the operation during a phone call with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Sunday.

“They agreed that the UK and Egypt would co-ordinate with other international partners, including the African Union, on urgent diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and support the transition to a stable civilian government,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

“The Prime Minister also thanked President El Sisi for Egypt's support in the operation to evacuate British embassy staff from Khartoum today, and they discussed further options for ensuring safe passage for civilians wanting to leave Sudan.”

Mr Sunak said that the evacuation was a response to escalating violence and threats against foreign diplomats and embassy properties.

“We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country,” he said.

Mr Sunak called for an “immediate and prolonged” ceasefire that would allow civilians to leave Sudan.

“I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones,” he said.

The US, France and Italy have also evacuated their staff as the conflict continues.

A UK government representative said it was working around the clock to ensure remaining British citizens in Sudan were safe.

“The UK government will do all we can to ensure the safe passage of our citizens in what remains a very challenging context.

“In the meantime, our advice to British nationals is to shelter in place and contact the Foreign Office to register your location and contact details.”