THE Federal Government of Nigeria has called for a ceasefire in Sudan to enable the evacuation of its nationals trapped in the country.

The government made an official request to Sudanese authorities to be granted permission to evacuate Nigerian citizens from the country.

However, the non-adherence to the numerous calls for a ceasefire by the warring parties has made evacuating Nigerians from the country difficult.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement released by its spokesperson, Francisca Omayuli, on Thursday, April 20.

The foreign affairs ministry expressed concern that the crisis in the country has continued to deepen.

“The non-adherence of the warring parties to numerous international calls for a ceasefire has worsened the plight of civilians and made it impossible to embark on their evacuation. Nigeria, therefore, wishes to reiterate the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire,” the statement said.

“In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the Sudanese authorities and has, through the Nigerian embassy in Khartoum, made an official request for permission to evacuate Nigerian students and other members of the Nigerian community who may wish to depart the country.

“The Nigerian Embassy has created WhatsApp and Telegram platforms for the students and other Nigerians in Sudan for proper coordination and regular updates. Nigerians in the country are advised to remain indoors and contact the Embassy on any of the following numbers: +249 90 765 0702, +234 803 698 1824, +249 90 132 5359, +249 92 440 1217.”

The ICIR had earlier reported that the Federal Government was planning to rescue its nationals from Sudan following a request for evacuation from Nigerian students in the country.

The students said they are stranded, living in fear with no access to basic amenities and are facing dangerous threats.

There have been multiple attempts to reach a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties — the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 400 people have died in the fighting, and almost 3,500 more have been wounded in Khartoum, the western region of Darfur and other states.

The crisis, which began in Khartoum, is spreading to residential areas in the capital, which could increase the number of casualties.