(OTTAWA) Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Monday morning that Canada is working “with allied countries” to help citizens who remain in Sudan flee the country as armed conflict escalates there.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more injured in just ten days, after power-sharing negotiations between the country’s armed forces and its paramilitary troops quickly deteriorated.
Minister Joly said on Twitter that Global Affairs Canada is trying to contact all Canadians in Sudan who have registered with the government. She reminds Canadians in Sudan to register or update their personal information on the Registration of Canadians Abroad service.
Nearly 1,600 Canadians were officially registered in Sudan on Saturday, but experts believe the number of Canadians there is likely much higher.
Canada suspended consular services in the East African country on Sunday, and reports said Canadian diplomats had left.
Ottawa is not evacuating its locally hired Sudanese staff and assures that it is exploring all possible options to support them.