(OTTAWA) The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) made two flights Thursday morning to evacuate Canadian nationals from Sudan. The situation remains volatile and could increase the level of risk quickly, said a senior National Defense officer during a briefing Thursday.
In addition to two CC-130 Hercules aircraft, the Canadian Armed Forces also has a C-17 Globemaster in the Sudan region. Two ships, HMCS Montreal and MV Asterix, are stationed near the city of Port Sudan and are ready to respond.
More than 200 Canadian soldiers are on the ground to participate in these evacuations. Canada lags behind other countries in repatriation.
Of some 1,800 Canadians in Sudan, according to the Global Affairs Registry, about 700 had requested some form of assistance, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a scrum on Wednesday.
A 72-hour ceasefire came into effect on Monday, but the truce remained very fragile as fresh fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries broke out in the capital, Khartoum.
