Government is not only about giving orders to helpless citizens, it is also about taking responsibility, thinking fast and providing relief for the carriers of the country’s international passport.
Sudan is on fire and we want to believe that there are intelligence officers at the Nigerian High Commission , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission that would have been briefing the government on what is coming our way as far as Sudan is concerned. As usual we seem to be caught out and we are scrambling to get our citizens out .
The obvious choice of getting the millions of our people in that country home is a massive airlift supported by land evacuation as the Nigerians in Sudan could effortlessly make out the 37th state of the federation.
Media reports and videos on social media show rampaging militias and soldiers attacking. We know that the Sudanese Armed Forces is receiving support from the Central Intelligence Agency and it’s surrogate in the government of Egypt.While the militia are suspected to be getting help from Russia and China. The country is degenerating fast and the brass hats in conflict are not considering the interest of the people and other nationals.
Meanwhile the Federal Government says it was no longer considering airlift of Nigerians stranded in Sudan following the outbreak of war in the country. Chairman/Chief Executive of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who made this known in a tweet said any flight from Sudan would be a great risk and the NIDCOM is very correct. This apart our national aviation capacity would be challenged if we are to bring home thousands of Nigerians that have made Sudan their home.
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The recent effort to bring Nigerians back from South Africa could have failed if not for the support of the concerned private citizens and corporate like Air Peace.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should also reach out to the Government in Ethiopia to allow Nigerians cross into the country as many of our citizens fleeing the mayhem aren’t allowed access into Ethiopia. It is reported that other nationals like Somalis, Tanzanians and Kenyans are allowed to cross. Nigerians are turned back to get entry VISA from Khartoum where war is already raging. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NIDCOM should act quickly . If they refuse to cooperate we should look for a convenient place to pinch them and bring them to their Afro consciousness.
NIDCOM however, assured that the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian embassy in Sudan are doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of Nigerians, no hint of what they are doing is however given.
In a pointer to pro active diplomacy and responsive governance a boat carrying Saudi citizens and other nationals rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi state television said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting there began. “The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying over 150 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries,” the official Al-Ekhbariyah television said. The boat docked at the Red Sea port of Jeddah where four other ships carrying 108 people from 11 different countries were expected to arrive later from Sudan, the broadcaster said.
Al-Ekhbariyah carried footage of large vessels arriving in Jeddah’s port. It also released a video showing women and children carrying Saudi flags on board one of the ships. Saturday’s evacuations mark the first major civilian rescue since violence in Sudan broke out on April 15.
Over 400 have died due to the battles between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital Saturday morning, according to witnesses. In the midst of this chaos the United States, United Kingdom , France and some EU countries have managed to get out over 150 of their diplomats and citizens out of Khartoum using alternative airstrip outside the city of 6 million people. Nigeria should act fast.
We should be talking with the Ethiopians and NEMA should have set up receiving and rescue post at the border countries to ensure these citizens are given needed support. We all know how Nigerians are perceived by some of these African countries for good and bad reasons. The government must be seen as doing something pro active. No excuse of troops engagement by the Boko Haram campaign would fly.
If we can’t rescue citizens trapped in Ukraine can we do a tidy job in Sudan ? Let’s show we are a giant with clout and class on this continent called Africa or I’m day dreaming and naive?
