Pretoria - Egyptian authorities have granted permission for a group of South African nationals fleeing the armed conflict in Sudan, where they were working, to travel to Cairo and head back to South Africa.
The group of 22 South African fled Sudan in a boat arranged by their employer and arrived at an Egyptian port.
For days now, the group of South Africans were reportedly stuck in the boat at the Port of Safaga, in Egypt, after fleeing from Sudan, where they had been reportedly working on a project. The evacuation mission hit a snag in Egypt, as some in the group did not have the requisite travel documents.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded since the war erupted on April 15, following a heated power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In an update on Tuesday morning, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said the Egyptian authorities have now granted permission for the South African group to travel to Cairo and catch a flight which will take them through Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
“Regarding the plight of the 22 South African nationals who were stranded at Port Safaga, refused permission to disembark from their boat by the Egyptian authorities because clearances were required by the authorities there, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation is happy to report this morning that we have successfully intervened on their behalf,” Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela narrated.
“The authorities in Egypt have now granted permission for them to get off the boat so that they can proceed with their journey. We have sent an official from the South African embassy in Cairo to go and sign them off.
“They will then proceed to Cairo, fly via Ethiopian Airlines back to South Africa with a stop over in Addis Ababa,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, broadcaster Newzroom Afrika reported that the evacuation of the group of 22 South Africans had hit a snag in Egypt, as some within the group did not have the requisite travel documents.
Monyela told the television channel that the South Africans were in Sudan for their private business, unrelated to representing Pretoria.
“We are contacted (because) the people are now stuck here, although initially, when they planned and made arrangements, they didn’t inform us, they didn’t involve us. Because these are South African nationals, we have now activated our team in Cairo at the South African embassy. We are now dealing with this matter,” he said.
On Sunday, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor was joined by Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise at OR Tambo International Airport, where a group of at least 51 South Africans evacuated from Sudan arrived home.
Another batch of 10 South Africans evacuated from Sudan had landed at home on Saturday, on a commercial airline.
IOL