Over the past four days, two competing generals in Sudan have engaged their armies in combat, and neither side appears willing to yield.
The Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have engaged in fierce combat, defying requests for a cease-fire.
Over 3,500 people been injured, and over 400 people have died, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Nigerian students in Sudan have had their hearts in their mouth, sending requests for assistance as the situation heats up further.
They need to be rescued so they can return home securely.
There are reportedly 10,000 Nigerian students studying there, and thousands more in different employment.
Air Peace To The Rescue
Nigeria has not been able to commission a flight to bring them back because of heightened insecurity.
To help, a private Nigerian airline, Air Peace, is offering its service, but with a condition.
Air Peace says it is willing to evacuate stranded Nigerians in Sudan, North-East Africa, for free provided the federal government can transfer them to an airport in one of the nations bordering Sudan that is safe and secure.
The airline’s chairman and chief executive officer, Allen Onyema, made this offer public in a statement on Monday.
Urgent Need For Help
He noted that Nigerian students and others stranded in the war-racked nation have urgent “needs our help”.
Nigeria cannot afford to lose its compatriots there, according to Onyema, who also pledged his personal commitment to ensuring the safety of the trapped Nigerians in the conflict-torn nation.
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“Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if the government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan.
“Everything must not be left to the government and the government alone.
“We are very ready to do it immediately.
“No time wasting.
“Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it.
“Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges.
“If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out.
“Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again,” he said.
Evacuation Via Egypt
In 2019, Air Peace deployed flights to evacuate Nigerians in South Africa when the xenophobic attack against Africans living in that country threatened the lives of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, The Federal Government reportedly wanted Egypt’s assistance to evacuate the trapped Nigerians to Luxor.
Dr. Onimode Bandele, the National Emergency Management Agency’s Director of Special Duties and Chairman of the Committee for the Evacuation of the Stranded Nigerians from Sudan, reported that the FG was meeting with Egyptian government representatives to discuss how to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan via Egypt.
In an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Geoffrey Onyeama, the minister of foreign affairs, said the government had finalised plans to evacuate 5,500 Nigerians now living in Sudan by road.
He claims that Nigeria will obtain permission from the Sudanese authorities before the evacuation for security concerns.
