German evacuation 'aborted'

Several foreign governments are debating whether to attempt evacuation operations to rescue their citizens, as fighting rages on across Sudan.

A German military mission to evacuate 150 citizens had to be halted in Khartoum on Wednesday, according to Speigel news magazine.

The Luftwaffe air force had dispatched three planes for the mission early on Wednesday, Speigel reported, but aborted the mission due to ongoing airstrikes and clashes in the Sudanese capital.

khartoum smoke fighting sudan — Smoke rises behind buildings in Khartoum on 19 April 2023, as fighting between the army and paramilitaries raged for a fifth day (AFP)

Meanwhile, Japan said authorities were planning to use planes from its military Self-Defence Forces to evacuate around 60 Japanese citizens.

The US State Department said the closure of Khartoum airport and "uncertain security situation" meant there were no current plans for a government-coordinated evacuation.

On Monday, a US diplomatic convoy was fired upon in an apparent Rapid Support Forces attack, shortly after the EU's ambassador to Sudan was attacked in his home in the capital.