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British Council staff freed unharmed from offices in Khartoum British Council staff freed unharmed from offices in Khartoum
(32 minutes later)
As many as nine staff had been trapped in their offices amid clashes in the Sudanese capital Nine staff had been trapped in building amid clashes in Sudanese capital
British Council staff trapped in their offices in the Sudanese capital have been rescued from the intense street fighting and returned to their homes unharmed, the UK cultural organisation has said.British Council staff trapped in their offices in the Sudanese capital have been rescued from the intense street fighting and returned to their homes unharmed, the UK cultural organisation has said.
As many as nine staff, all but one Sudanese, had been trapped in their offices in Khartoum. Nine staff, all but one of them Sudanese, had been trapped in their offices in Khartoum.
A British Council spokesperson said: “We are relieved to share that all colleagues who were in our office have been evacuated and are now home. The safety and security of our colleagues is always our highest priority.”A British Council spokesperson said: “We are relieved to share that all colleagues who were in our office have been evacuated and are now home. The safety and security of our colleagues is always our highest priority.”
One of the British Council staff is a British-Ugandan dual citizen; the rest are Sudanese. They include a security guard, an English language teacher, a driver and administrators. One of the British Council staff is a dual British-Ugandan citizen, the rest are Sudanese. They include a security guard, an English language teacher, a driver and administrators.
The British Council headquarters is just a few miles from the military headquarters and the presidential palace, the focus of the most intense clashes.The British Council headquarters is just a few miles from the military headquarters and the presidential palace, the focus of the most intense clashes.
A staff member, Mohamad Berer, previously said: “We have been given promises by our manager since the beginning that they will evacuate us but nothing has happened, so now we are calling for people on the outside to help get us out. We are terrified; the fighting is all around us. We have been patient, but now honestly we are starting to [be] feeling anxious.”A staff member, Mohamad Berer, previously said: “We have been given promises by our manager since the beginning that they will evacuate us but nothing has happened, so now we are calling for people on the outside to help get us out. We are terrified; the fighting is all around us. We have been patient, but now honestly we are starting to [be] feeling anxious.”
The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has cut short a tour of New Zealand and Samoa to return to the UK to focus on its response to the crisis in Sudan, as well as to launch high-level diplomacy in a bid to persuade the two warring parties towards a ceasefire. The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has cut short a tour of New Zealand and Samoa to return to the UK to focus on its response to the crisis in Sudan, as well as to launch high-level diplomacy in an attempt to move the two warring parties towards a ceasefire.
The Foreign Office was severely criticised for its handling of the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, and Cleverly is believed to have felt he needed to be in the department to oversee potential efforts to evacuate British citizens and diplomats.The Foreign Office was severely criticised for its handling of the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, and Cleverly is believed to have felt he needed to be in the department to oversee potential efforts to evacuate British citizens and diplomats.
Cleverly has been on the phone to foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the hope that the Gulf states can use their influence to ensure ceasefires are honoured.Cleverly has been on the phone to foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the hope that the Gulf states can use their influence to ensure ceasefires are honoured.
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The foreign secretary left New Zealand a day before he was due to meet his counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta. He had earlier than scheduled on Thursday, for his first official visit to the country after skipping a planned visit to Samoa and flying in directly from the Solomon Islands. The foreign secretary left New Zealand a day before he was due to meet his counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta. He had arrived earlier than scheduled on Thursday for his first official visit to the country after skipping a planned visit to Samoa and flying in directly from the Solomon Islands.