Sudan

The FO is notorious for sitting on it’s hands.The mantra seems to be do nothing until it’s too late.😡

Apparently 71 Sudanese doctors, consultants and juniors, plus their families are over there. Why?

Should have made clear they are UK NHS doctors.

I am beginning to wonder whether our government is fit for purpose.

I’m sure they will get off their a….s eventually but not before a lot of criticism etc.

Never ahead of the curve.

Flew back to UK from Frankfurt last Wednesday, gent boarding was fleeing Sudan then and coming home via Germany. So people “in the know” knew last week to get out.

I understand that there’s a British military task force in Sudan right now looking at options for getting people out. The US as yet isn’t evacuating its citizens, presumably because they’re facing the same difficulties as the UK is. One of the French planes was fired on, though thankfully wasn’t hit, when they were leaving - it’s not as easy as saying send some planes in.

It’s Afghanistan all over again. Aren’t other countries now offering to help UK nationals leave the country? Does this government ever learn from it’s mistakes?

Yes France is taking British nationals.

They have extracted all Embassy Staff and their families over the weekend as they had been subject to a direct threat.

There was a much publicised COBRA meeting last night, it would be extremely foolhardy to make public any plans to extract civilians.

Forsythia

Apparently 71 Sudanese doctors, consultants and juniors, plus their families are over there. Why?

It will be because Eid has just happened I would imagine, like in the UK at Christmas, they go home to celebrate with their families, which is as it should be. The fighting started when many families would already have left the UK.

Yes I suppose.

But I’d rather be a French or Dutch national - have you seen how the Dutch has talked their nationals through every step of the way, sometimes contacting them up to 4 times a day. Now that is what I call a good government.

You see we don’t have a very good recent record do we, so it doesn’t fill one with confidence. Think Johnson and Raab and now Cleverly.

As a former French colony I imagine France has many more connections in Sudan than the UK. The Uk has no troops stationed there, for instance and we can’t just send people in without permission. I hope a plan comes to fruition soon but having lived in countries that have experienced severe security events, I know it’s a hugely risky thing to do.

Whitewavemark2

Yes I suppose.

But I’d rather be a French or Dutch national - have you seen how the Dutch has talked their nationals through every step of the way, sometimes contacting them up to 4 times a day. Now that is what I call a good government.

You see we don’t have a very good recent record do we, so it doesn’t fill one with confidence. Think Johnson and Raab and now Cleverly.

Not sure how they are contacting them four times a day, electricity is scarce as in the internet.

It was on BBC

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

Yes I suppose.

But I’d rather be a French or Dutch national - have you seen how the Dutch has talked their nationals through every step of the way, sometimes contacting them up to 4 times a day. Now that is what I call a good government.

You see we don’t have a very good recent record do we, so it doesn’t fill one with confidence. Think Johnson and Raab and now Cleverly.

Not sure how they are contacting them four times a day, electricity is scarce as in the internet.

Mobile phones with solar power packs probably.

Casdon

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

Yes I suppose.

But I’d rather be a French or Dutch national - have you seen how the Dutch has talked their nationals through every step of the way, sometimes contacting them up to 4 times a day. Now that is what I call a good government.

You see we don’t have a very good recent record do we, so it doesn’t fill one with confidence. Think Johnson and Raab and now Cleverly.

Not sure how they are contacting them four times a day, electricity is scarce as in the internet.

Mobile phones with solar power packs probably.

That’s a possibility yes.

Khartoum the hub of the power struggle I can only assume that’s where the majority of the foreign nationals are. Fresh water and food is also scarce according to news channels.

I feel for the Sudanese people as nobody is about to rescue them.

It’s a terrible situation for all civilians, hundreds of thousands will want to leave the city if they can I’m sure.

A three day cease fire; will it hold and will it be enough to get them all out?

Smileless2012

A three day cease fire; will it hold and will it be enough to get them all out?

One would hope so.

US extracted people from their Embassy at the weekend. It seems Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain are also bringing people out.

The government is saying it will start repatriation asap.

Let’s hope it is totally successful.

According to the news the evacuation has begun, let’s hope that the convoy/s do not get fired on like the French, Turkish and others (source ITV News)

I have just listened to a British woman Imam Haled (sp) who has three young children on a live phone call to Breakfast News (ITV) she has her evacuation instructions.

The problem is there is still gunfire outside and it’s unclear whether it’s looters which are common in Khartoum at this time or the ceasefire not holding.

U.K. Forces are ready to get approximately 4,000 British/Duel Nationals out from an unnamed air field.

Norah the U.K. also got its Embassy workers and Families out over the weekend.