The assistant administrative attaché at Egypt’s embassy in Khartoum, Mohamed al-Gharawy, was killed on Monday amid fighting between rival military factions in the Sudanese capital. Egypt’s Ambassador to Khartoum, Hani Salah, confirmed the incident involving an Egyptian diplomat killed in Sudan while emphasising that the diplomatic mission continues to fulfil its duties under challenging circumstances.
Ahmed Abou Zeid, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained that caution must be exercised during evacuations to ensure the safety of expatriates and diplomatic mission members. He emphasised the need for particular care in countries with large expatriate communities, such as Sudan, which has over 10,000 Egyptian expats.
Egypt’s foreign ministry stated that al-Gharawy was killed while driving to the embassy to oversee the evacuation procedures for stranded Egyptians in Sudan. The Sudanese army initially reported that Egypt’s assistant military attaché had been killed but later corrected the statement, attributing al-Gharawy’s death to fire from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A ceasefire in Sudan, which began at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Monday, is currently holding after several previous attempts failed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the 72-hour truce had been agreed upon between the army and the RSF after 48 hours of negotiations. The violence, which started on April 15, has claimed at least 400 lives, with both sides in the conflict independently announcing their participation in the ceasefire.
UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the violence in Sudan could lead to a “catastrophic conflagration” affecting the entire region and beyond. As the conflict continues, residents in Khartoum have been advised to stay indoors, with food and water supplies running low. It is hoped that the ceasefire will allow civilians to leave the city and enable the evacuation of foreign diplomats and civilians from the country.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs commenced the evacuation of Egyptian citizens from Sudan, according to a statement released on Sunday, 23 April. The operation in which Egypt begins evacuation of citizens from Sudan is being carried out in coordination with Sudanese authorities, with Egypt’s consulates in Khartoum and Port Sudan assisting in the process.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Marwan Ali
