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Nigeria plans to start evacuating nearly 3,000 of its nationals, mostly students, from Sudan by convoy to Egypt this week, a top official said on Monday.
Foreign countries are rushing to get their nationals out of Sudan as fighting between forces loyal to two rival generals rages into a second week.
Western nations have sent special forces and military aircraft to help get out embassy staff and other nationals. Others have fled the capital Khartoum by road.
Onimode Bandele, special duties director for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency or NEMA, told Channels TV the plan was to move about 2,650 to 2,800, including families of embassy staff.
"Nobody has been evacuated yet," he said. "There are plans to get buses to start movement tomorrow morning."
Officials say a total of around 5,000 Nigerian nationals could be looking for evacuation.
Since fighting erupted in Sunday, at least 427 people have been killed and more than 3,700 wounded, according to UN agencies, which also reported Sudanese civilians fleeing areas affected by fighting, including to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
"We from the IUA and the students that live around IUA experienced the worst day of our lives and this is because the RSF base is right behind the male and female hostels and most of the attacks that were launched were on us. For three days and nights, we have witnessed this rough scenario," he narrated.
Nigerian students have appealed to the Nigerian government to evacuate them from Sudan where fighting between the military and a para-military force has killed hundreds of people.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how fighting erupted in the capital city, Khartoum, on Saturday between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over political power in the crisis torn country.
The Nigerian students on Wednesday in a memo by their association said they were stranded, with no access to basic needs.
"Fear, panic and desperation are one of the few emotions we are currently feeling. Our lives are not safe," Sumyyah Yusuf, a second year medical student at Sudan International University in Khartoum, said to PREMIUM TIMES.
Ms Yusuf said it had become difficult to access anything, including food, water, and electricity because it is unsafe to go out and most stores are either shut or empty.
She said they (students) were trying to stay in touch with each other through social media. Although they had received a memo from the Nigerian embassy in Sudan reassuring them, she said "we need more action."
Ms Yusuf said she wants Nigeria "to get its nationals out of here (Sudan), swiftly and safely."
Sadiq Haruna, an Islamic Studies graduate from the International University of Africa, Khartoum confirmed the students have no way of confirming if the memo was from the Nigerian embassy in Sudan.
He said the condition where he lives, "is a little bit better" after they had witnessed the worst days of their lives.
"We from the IUA and students that live around IUA experienced the worst day of our lives and this is because the RSF base is right behind the male and female hostels and most of the attacks that were launched were on us. For three days and nights, we witnessed this rough scenario," he narrated.
According to Mr Haruna, female students had been evacuated by the university from their hostels to staff accomodations for safety.
He added that the students had also come under several forms of attacks including theft. He said some students were moving to parts of the country that are relatively peaceful.
According to news reports, the fighting is happening in major cities like Khartoum and Merowe.
Mr Haruna appealed to the government to come to their rescue as it did to Nigerian students in Ukraine.
"It is taking time and we do not want to lose anyone but we are on the verge...," he appealed.
This reporter heard the sound of gunshots in the backgroung while speaking with Mr Haruna.
Nigerian government speaks
However, the federal government through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), had early Thursday said it received the letter from the students' association.
NIDCOM in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu assured that the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) was consulting with the Nigerian mission in Sudan and other relevant agencies .
It urged all Nigerian Students in Sudan as well as Nigerians living in thecountry to be security conscious and calm.
An official copy of the memo the students spoke about was seen by PREMIUM TIMES in a WhatsApp group "Nigerian Community in Sudan."
It was shared by a user who signed off their messages with 'ambassador' but gave no names.
The Embassy in the letter, appealed to Nigerian nationals to exercise caution and restraint, noting that it is in touch with all the relevant stakeholders in Khartoum and Abuja, respectively, for protection and well-being of Nigerians in Sudan.
"The Embassy is making plans for possible evacuation of Nigerian Nationals with approval of the Federal Government of Nigeria as soon as the situation allows it and you will be communicated in due course," the letter said.
The memo attributed to the ambassador urged nations to stay safe and be wary of fake news circulating in social media, adding that the Embassy will keep a close contact with the leadership of all the Nigerian Union for further consular assistance and updates.
Sudan fighting
The fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF has entered its sixth day after four failed ceasefire attempts.
At least 300 people have died in the fighting and almost 3,200 more have been wounded in Khartoum, the western region of Darfur and other states, Ahmed Al-Mandhari of the World Health Organisation says.
By Chiamaka Okafor, Premium Times
The International Air Transport Association says the amount of trapped funds belonging to foreign airlines operating in Nigeria to repatriate is close to 800 million U.S. dollars. Nigeria is facing a severe shortage of foreign currency, and the issue makes it difficult for airlines to convert local currency to repatriate revenues earned from ticket sales.
The Italian government will soon launch direct flights from Italy to Nigeria, its Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stefano De Leo, has said.
“We plan to open an Italian trade agency in Lagos and, hopefully, soon launch direct flights between Italy and Nigeria,” De Leo said.
The Italian envoy said this moments after signing a working agreement with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on behalf of the Italian news agency, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) in Abuja.
The ambassador said the direct flights from Italy to Nigeria would boost the economic ties between the two countries.
De Leo added that the flights would lay the conditions for opening up other opportunities that would be mutually beneficial to both Italy and Nigeria in the near future.
“We are working closely with my colleague, the Ambassador of Nigeria to Italy, Mr Mfawa Abam. Today is a positive day because it signifies an important step towards improving the already excellent relations between both countries,” the envoy said.
The envoy said that the working agreement signed between NAN and ANSA would see the two news agencies sharing information and knowledge.
According to him, the agreement will also see ANSA providing training to NAN’s newsroom manpower.
He described the agreement as a major development, especially in view of the fact that it involves “a partner such as Nigeria, the giant of Africa”.
Responding, the Managing Director of NAN, Buki Ponle, described the agreement as a step in the right direction as it would unveil great possibilities for news exchange between both agencies.
Ponle added that NAN is the country’s largest content provider and national purveyor of information, with 36 state offices and 26 district offices.
He said that the news agency’s focus was Nigeria, with Africa as the centerpiece of its reportage.
“The signing of the news exchange agreement with ANSA marks another defining phase in our continued engagements with like-minded institutions.
“It is my hope and belief that this landmark event will signal the beginning of a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship.
“To leverage its octopoidal reach, NAN has news exchange partnerships with leading international wire agencies such as Reuters (UK); Deutsch Presse-Agentur (Germany); Xinhua (China); and Sputnik (Russia).
“Others are Yonhap (South Korea); Asian News International (India); Anadolu (Turkey); and Bulgaria News Agency (Bulgaria).
“This is just a chip of the global experiences we are bringing into the partnership agreement with ANSA aimed at fostering a new and positive order in global reportage,” he said.
NAN reports that the managing director of NAN signed the agreement for NAN while the Italian ambassador signed on behalf of ANSA at the NAN headquarters in Abuja.
