News item | 26-05-2023 | 10:23
At the end of April, Defense and Foreign Affairs successfully evacuated Dutch people from Sudan. The country is still in the grip of fighting between the government army and militias.
Ambassador Irma van Dueren looks back on the evacuation and shares stories from colleagues who were trapped in the capital Khartoum. And she looks ahead: what next for Sudan?
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The ambassador paints a picture: of fighting in the streets of Khartoum, colleagues who barricaded their windows and doors and the dangerous route that the Dutch had to take to evacuate.
But we start at the beginning.
Start of the fighting in Sudan
Irma van Dueren was at Schiphol when heavy fighting broke out in Sudan. ‘I was on my way back to the embassy, but all flights were cancelled. Because one thing was immediately clear: the situation in Khartoum was perilous. That was really hard. I was here in the Netherlands. And my whole team was there. No one could leave.’
One thing was immediately clear: the situation in Khartoum was perilous.
The fact that the ambassador was not in Sudan had an important advantage. ‘It was precisely because of this that I was able to mean more to the people who were detained in Sudan from the Netherlands, and later from Jordan.’
Contact with Dutch people and colleagues in Sudan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained intensive contact with the Dutch in Sudan. But that was not always easy. Connections often fell out. Electricity became scarce. Irma spoke a lot with the staff of her embassy. ‘There was a continuous stream of messages,’ she says. ‘Colleagues let us know if they were safe, how the situation was developing and asked where they could take shelter. They also shared frightening stories.’
Colleagues barricaded their windows and doors. Everyone was locked up.
There was a lot of shooting in the streets where the embassy staff lived. And in one of those streets the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positioned itself. “Right in front of a colleague’s door, the RSF opened fire on a fighter jet. They were moments of agony: would the plane shoot back? Drop bombs on the neighborhood? Colleagues barricaded their windows and doors. Everyone was locked up. Yet everyone in the house was safer than on the street. Because there the fighting and bombardments continued day and night.’
Evacuation from Sudan
Evacuating was the only option to bring the Dutch to safety. On April 19, Irma had already traveled to Aqaba in Jordan. From there she worked together with the Ministry of Defence, ambassador Tsjeard Hoekstra and the Rapid Consular Support Team (SCOT) of Foreign Affairs. To make all possible preparations. Irma: ‘The work that all these people have done is incredible, and I am very grateful to them.’
We were one team: we tried to get as many people to safety as possible.
‘We started evacuating on April 23. It wasn’t easy. The situation was constantly changing: when we could leave, when we could land, or which people we had to pick up. But the Ministry of Defense always responded to developments. And Foreign Affairs had other challenges: think of contact with the people in Sudan, arranging reception and making agreements with other embassies. Because, for example, there were also Greeks, Canadians and Americans on our flights. You wanted the plane as full as possible. The cooperation with Defense was perfect. We were one team: we tried to get as many people to safety as possible. Although in the end you can never do enough.’
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The meeting point: Wadi Seidna military airbase
There was one last setback for the people of Khartoum, says Irma. ‘It was not possible to evacuate via the airport in the city. Instead, people had to make their way to the Wadi Seidna military airbase; 30 kilometers north of Khartoum.’
People had to find their way to Wadi Seidna Air Base; 30 kilometers north of Khartoum.
“We let everyone who came to the assembly point know the safest routes. But that could change at any moment.’ And for Irma too, the road to the airbase resulted in nerve-racking moments. ‘A number of our seconded employees left with a van to the assembly point, and had turned on their live location. From Aqaba we kept an eye on them all the time. But on the way, the car suddenly began to deviate from the route. At that moment, all kinds of disaster scenarios flashed through my head: has their phone been stolen? Are they kidnapped? But as it turned out, they took a detour to pick up someone else.’
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Dutch nationals and embassy personnel in safety
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Despite all the challenges and dangers, the evacuation was a success. The Netherlands evacuated about 250 people, about 100 of whom were Dutch. And thanks to other countries, another 130 Dutch people have been brought to safety. ‘It was very emotional to see the Dutch and colleagues get off the plane in one piece,’ says Irma. ‘Especially to see the children of our embassy staff in safety. I also knew that personally. We recently had a family day in Khartoum.’
We recently had a family day in Khartoum.
Irma also went on a number of evacuation flights herself. ‘It was intense. To see what was going on in Sudan. And the choices we had to make. Many people wanted to be evacuated, but not everyone was allowed to come along. For example, people who brought relatives who did not belong to their nuclear family; we had to send it back. That was very painful. The evacuation was full of difficult moments.’
On April 26, the evacuation operation was scaled down, and on April 30, Irma and colleagues from Foreign Affairs and Defense returned to the Netherlands. What now?
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How are the embassy staff doing now?
“Everyone has had a terrible experience. The fear resonates in all conversations. The feeling that you are locked somewhere alone, and everything is running out. Food, water and electricity. Not knowing when you’ll get out. And whether you get out.’
Not knowing when you’ll get out. And whether you get out.
‘Each colleague processes events in a different way. But the same applies to everyone: the impact is enormous. We offer a lot of help to support them in the process. And right now they are my main concern. In the coming period I will try to get the team back together, but above all to offer everyone the space they need. The tricky thing is that we are now scattered. Many colleagues are based in the Netherlands, but there are also local staff in Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Egypt – and in Sudan. These are colleagues who did not want to leave the country without their parents, for example.’
Dutch citizens left behind in Sudan
There are also still Dutch people in Sudan who want to leave the country. The Ministry is doing everything it can to get and keep in touch with those left behind, and to assist them as best as possible. ‘People have to find their own way out, unfortunately we can’t help them with that. Some go to Port Sudan to cross the Red Sea from there. Others cross the border into Egypt. Our embassies can provide consular assistance from neighboring countries.’
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What next for Sudan?
For now, the situation does not look rosy. “Enormous damage has been done in the country,” Irma explains. Hospitals have been destroyed. Basic services such as water, electricity and roads have been affected. The coming years will be very difficult. A ceasefire is also only a small step for Sudan. It is a pause to allow humanitarian aid, not an intention to stop fighting. Long-lasting peace requires a broad peace process involving Sudanese citizens.’
Long-lasting peace requires a broad peace process involving Sudanese citizens.
‘The Netherlands is trying to contribute to that peace process. From the embassy, and together with like-minded countries. We have to think: how can we resume our humanitarian programs? We will also continue to support Sudanese civil society organisations. People who envision a different, more peaceful Sudan. We must give them a voice. This also applies to the women’s and youth organizations with which we had a lot of contact before the conflict. We need to focus on the people who do want positive change and help them shape the future of the country.”