Egypt embassy staff, on his way to oversee the evacuation process, killed in Khartoum

Over 4,000 people have fled Sudan in foreign-organised evacuations that began on Saturday

Published: Tue 25 Apr 2023, 10:39 AM

By
Reuters

Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. Photo: Reuters

Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the assistant administrative attache at its embassy in Khartoum has been killed amid fighting between rival military factions in the Sudanese capital.

"Muhammad El Gharrawi, was killed as he was driving to the embassy to follow up the procedures of the evacuations of the Egyptians stranded in Sudan,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Sudanese army, which originally reported that Egypt's assistant military attache had been killed, corrected its statement, saying the assistant administrative attache had been killed by fire from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

More than 4,000 people have fled the country in foreign-organised evacuations that began on Saturday.

The United States and European, Middle Eastern, African and Asian nations launched emergency missions to bring to safety their embassy staff and Sudan-based citizens by road, air and sea.

72-hour ceasefire

A US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's warring generals officially came into effect Tuesday after 10 days of urban combat killed hundreds, wounded thousands and sparked a mass exodus of foreigners.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to the ceasefire "following intense negotiations", Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement shortly before the truce took effect at midnight (2200 GMT Monday).

Previous bids to pause the conflict failed to take hold, but both sides confirmed they had agreed to the three-day halt.

"This ceasefire aims to establish humanitarian corridors, allowing citizens and residents to access essential resources, healthcare, and safe zones, while also evacuating diplomatic missions," the RSF paramilitary tweeted.

In a statement on Facebook, the SAF said it would also abide by the ceasefire on condition its rivals did so.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned earlier that Sudan was on "the edge of the abyss" and that the violence "could engulf the whole region and beyond".

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