Egypt reopens border with Sudan for stranded Nigerian evacuees, but ‘with stringent conditions’

Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Monday evening confirmed that Egypt has finally reopened its borders to stranded Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan to cross into the country.

Two bus-loads of Nigerian evacuees arrived at the Egyptian border with Sudan, since last weekend, but were not allowed to cross into North African country where an Air Peace operated chartered plane, along with a Nigerian Air Force transport plane have been waiting to airlift them back to Nigeria.

However, Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed via her Twitter handle, Monday evening, that the Egptian authorities have now reopened their border to allow the stranded nationals fleeing Sudan to cross but with what she termed ‘stringent conditions.’

The NIDCOM did not specify those conditions, nut it is believed that with the reopening of the borders, the expected airlift of the arriving Nigerians will formally commence.

There are believed to be nearly 1500 Nigerians stranded at the Egyptian border brought there as part of three batches of passengers conveyed by the 13 chartered buses from Sudan engaged for the purpose by the Nigerian government.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, Egypt agreed to open its border after the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, as she added that the Nigerian leader reached out to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, his Egyptian counterpart, before arriving at the solution.

“The border has just been opened, (with stringent conditions) after President Buhari’s intervention with the Egyptian President. So, the processing of evacuees by the Nigerian Embassy in Egypt will begin,” Dabiri-Erewa said in the tweet.

Nigerians, who departed Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, last Friday, were stranded at the border between Sudan and Egypt over visa-related issues.

Last Saturday, it would be recalled, Federal Government approved the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) deployment of military aircraft in the airlift of Nigerians stranded in the war-stricken Sudan, in addition to the engagement of civil aviation operator, Air Peace.

Also, the issue of Nigerians stranded on the Sahara Desert en route the Egyptian border over demands by the bus drivers for full payments for their services has been resolved.

These, among others were the resolutions reached among various agencies which convened a Situation Room over the hitches encountered in the evacuation of the stranded Nigerians in Sudan.

This is also as reports suggest that the nearly 1000 Nigerians are, however, among the 7000 nationals of other countries stranded at the Egyptian border with Sudan. The Nigerians are among the first batch of evacuees conveyed in 13 buses chartered by the Nigerian government for the purpose of evacuating its citizens to the border post in the North African country.

A joint statement issued by member-agencies of the Situation Room also confirmed that all problems related to the evacuation process of Nigerians in Sudan have been resolved, even as it also added that the ‘initial hitches encountered during the commencement of the exercise, including incidents of bus drivers stopping in the desert due to non-payment have been resolved,’ as, according to them, ‘the stranded buses have continued (their journey) towards the Egyptian border.’

Member-agencies of the situation room include;  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

Other members are; the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Office of the Chief of Staff, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF), as well as, the various Nigerian Foreign Missions relevant to the evacuation exercise.

The situation explained the evacuation process is on the back of the three-day ceasefire brokered y the United States between the warring armies in Sudan, adding further that ‘the previously stalled evacuation exercise is progressing and will continue until all stranded Nigerians are brought back home safely.’

The member-agencies further confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force has already dispatched its heavy-payload carrier, the NAF C-130H to Egypt join Air Peace in the evacuation process.

“Seizing the window of the three (3) day United States negotiated ceasefire in Sudan, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR approved the immediate deployment of both human and financial resources towards the evacuation of Nigerians caught up in the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

“Consequently, forty (40) buses have been secured in Sudan to convey the students and other Nigerians from Khartoum to Aswan border in Egypt, which is one of the identified safe reception borders. As at the time of the release of this statement, the 1st batch of buses had already departed Khartoum.

“The Nigerian Mission in Egypt is liaising with the Egyptian Authorities to facilitate the evacuation exercise, by providing emergency entry documents and holding shelters, until the stranded Nigerians are airlifted back to Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace and other Airlines have received clearance to fly to Egypt. The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow, 28th April, 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees. Similarly, arrangements are being concluded to airlift all Nigerians that have already escaped on their own to safety in other countries neighbouring Sudan.

“Some Nigerian students who found their way to the Ethiopian border on 22nd April, 2023 and got stranded were allowed entry into Ethiopia on 24th April, 2023 following the intervention of some Nigerian leaders. The students are safe and in good condition and have already made personal travel arrangements to return to Nigeria.

“Similarly, another group of Nigerians assisted by the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived Jeddah and are being taken care of by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Nigerian Embassy in KSA. Arrangements are being made to bring them back home safely.

“The initial hitches encountered during the commencement of the exercise, including incidents of bus drivers stopping in the desert due to non-payment have been resolved. The buses have continued towards the Egyptian border. The evacuation exercise is progressing and will continue until all stranded Nigerians are brought back home safely,” read the joint statement issued by the Situation Room and signed by Amb. Janet Olisa, Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Friday.