Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno holds a press conference on the situation in Sudan at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 19, 2023. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT

Japan to evacuate nationals from Sudan

Last updated Apr 19, 2023

Japan has announced on Wednesday that it was preparing to evacuate its nationals to Sudan, becoming the first country to take such a step in the country where violence has lasted since Saturday despite calls for a truce.

Fighting in the country between the paramilitaries of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo ‘s Rapid Support Forces (FSR) and the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, in command since the 2021 putsch, has already claimed nearly 200 lives. since Saturday according to the UN.

About 60 Japanese nationals are in Sudan, including embassy staff, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Defense has made the “necessary preparations” for the evacuations, he told a press conference, saying the government was doing “everything in its power to ensure the safety of Japanese expatriates”.

International calls are increasing for an end to hostilities in Sudan, the G7 foreign ministers, who met earlier this week in Japan, called for an immediate ceasefire between the two sides on Tuesday, as did UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.

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