First Group Of Kenyan Evacuees From Sudan Arrives In Nairobi

By Samuel Ouma [caption id="attachment_105924" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Evacuees from Sudan[/caption] The first group of Kenyan evacuees from war-torn Sudan arrived in the country aboard a military plane on Monday evening. The 40 evacuees, who were mostly university students, arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and were received by the Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. They comprised Kenyans and others from our allied states, namely the Federal Republic of Somalia and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In his remarks, as he welcomed the evacuees to Kenya, Duale commended the multi-agency team formed to facilitate the evacuation process, saying the government remains committed to ensuring a safe return of all Kenyan citizens in Sudan who wish to come home. He further urged all Kenyans stranded in Sudan and their families in Kenya to continue registering with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs for logistical purposes. CS Duale affirmed that Kenya associates herself with the position of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the pronouncements of President William Ruto for the two warring groups to cease hostilities. “Kenya strongly believes that tragic as the situation in Sudan is in terms of loss of lives, destruction of property and displacement of civilians, it can and should be reversed quickly. We join those calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities, observance of a humanitarian ceasefire, and return to the negotiation table,” said Aden Duale. The evacuees were lauded for their bravery and resilience in undertaking a long journey from Khartoum to Paloich Airport in South Sudan, where they were airlifted.