This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/23/uk-armed-forces-evacuate-british-diplomats-from-sudan-after-threats
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| UK armed forces evacuate British diplomats from Sudan after threats | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rishi Sunak says ‘complex and rapid’ operation carried out, amid fears for remaining UK nationals | |
| The UK has successfully evacuated its diplomatic staff from Khartoum, the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has said, citing the escalating threats against foreign diplomats, but said UK nationals living in Sudan remained in the country. | The UK has successfully evacuated its diplomatic staff from Khartoum, the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has said, citing the escalating threats against foreign diplomats, but said UK nationals living in Sudan remained in the country. |
| Rishi Sunak also announced the evacuation, saying British armed forces had carried out “a complex and rapid” military operation. | |
| With British citizens still trapped by the fighting in Khartoum, the news that diplomats have been prioritised is likely to cause deep concern, but Cleverly on Sunday said the top priority remained the safety of British nationals. He said the UK was working round the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan. | With British citizens still trapped by the fighting in Khartoum, the news that diplomats have been prioritised is likely to cause deep concern, but Cleverly on Sunday said the top priority remained the safety of British nationals. He said the UK was working round the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan. |
| The former UK ambassador to Sudan Sir William Patey said Britain would be courting disaster if it was to try to evacuate British citizens without a clear understanding that they would be given safe passage by the warring parties. But a British citizen named as William told Sky News he had heard nothing from the Foreign Office and wanted to know that a plane had been prepared to take them out. | The former UK ambassador to Sudan Sir William Patey said Britain would be courting disaster if it was to try to evacuate British citizens without a clear understanding that they would be given safe passage by the warring parties. But a British citizen named as William told Sky News he had heard nothing from the Foreign Office and wanted to know that a plane had been prepared to take them out. |
| The Foreign Office has left a note on the embassy website asking for British citizens to identify themselves and their whereabouts. The information is likely to be used by UK special forces to gather British citizens that want to leave once a ceasefire has been agreed and is seen to be holding. | The Foreign Office has left a note on the embassy website asking for British citizens to identify themselves and their whereabouts. The information is likely to be used by UK special forces to gather British citizens that want to leave once a ceasefire has been agreed and is seen to be holding. |
| William said it was not feasible for British citizens to get across the checkpoints in Khartoum and, in searing heat, take the 1,000km drive required to reach the Sudan border. | |
| More details soon … | More details soon … |