Greece will deploy special forces personnel and aircraft in Egypt in order to assist in the evacuation of its citizens from Sudan when it will be possible, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Sunday.
Two military transport aircraft C-130 and C-27j left on Sunday for Egypt.
“From the first moment, the government set as its primary goal the safety and protection of the Greek citizens in this country,” said Dendias, as EU countries are considering an evacuation of all European nationals.
There are about 150 Greek nationals remaining in Khartoum. Several Greeks have found refuge in the Greek heartland in Khartoum located exactly where the fighting is taking place, in the center of the city.
The Church of the Annunciation, the offices of the Greek community, the Greek school, and the building of the Greek Embassy, which has been defunct for years, are all within a walled precinct.
Greek citizens in Khartoum are stranded and frustrated
At least two Greek individuals were injured by a rocket that landed within the vicinity of the Orthodox Church when the fighting first erupted last Saturday.
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nubia, Savvas, appealed through Open TV on Friday for international help.
“We are all in danger,” he said. “Nobody will be left if nothing is done. We are all tired. We are without electricity and we only have enough food for a few days.”
The sister of one of the injured Greeks warned that her brother’s life is in danger if he is not transferred to a hospital. She appealed to the International Red Cross to dispatch a doctor to examine his wounds and deliver first aid.
Greece calls for EU-wide response to Sudan crisis
Greece issued a travel warning on Saturday, April 15 when the fighting erupted in Khartoum.
Greeks living in the Sudanese capital were advised to avoid travel and observe the maximum possible security measures.
A Crisis Management Unit has been activated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the participation of defense officials which is in constant communication with the other EU member states.
“Our main concern is the safety and release of the Greek citizens who are in Sudan. The government remains in continuous collaboration with its partners and allies towards this end. The list of Greek citizens to be released also includes citizens of the Republic of Cyprus,” Dendias said.
He added that he will raise the issue of the evacuation of European citizens on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg as a matter of absolute priority.
On Saturday the US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Khartoum, Sudan. Amid fighting in the country that has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, President Biden confirmed the evacuation of US embassy employees.
“Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US government personnel from Khartoum,” he said in a statement.
Related: Greeks of Sudan: A Tumultuous History
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