Thanking France, Other Member States for Transport Assistance, Secretary-General Says Hundreds of United Nations Staff Have Been Safely Evacuated from Sudan

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General is deeply grateful to the Government of France for its vital assistance in safely transporting more than 400 United Nations personnel and their dependants out of Sudan.

The French Navy transported more than 350 of our colleagues and their families from Port Sudan to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday night.  Today, 27 April, more than 70 United Nations and affiliated personnel, as well as others, were flown on a French Air Force transport from El Fasher, Sudan, to the capital of Chad, N’Djamena.  We also thank the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chad, Kenya and Uganda for facilitating the arrival of our colleagues and their families.

The Secretary-General is also very thankful to the many other Member States, including the United States, Jordan, Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada, who have assisted in ensuring the safe transport of United Nations personnel.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call to the parties to the conflict, on Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemedti”, and the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, to respect the ceasefire.  He stands with the Sudanese people, and their hopes and demands for peace, the restoration of civilian rule and the democratic transition.

The United Nations will continue to be with the people of Sudan.  A United Nations hub in Port Sudan, led by Special Representative Volker Perthes, is enabling us to continue to work with our partners in support of peace and to alleviate humanitarian suffering.