Saudi ambassador says ‘excellent relationship’ behind mission to rescue Thais in Sudan
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Thailand has released a video statement reassuring Thailand that its remaining nationals stranded in Sudan will be evacuated to safety soon.
Ambassador Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Alsuhaibani said 79 Thai citizens had arrived in the Saudi port of Jeddah from Sudan aboard a Saudi Arabian ship on Wednesday evening.
“And the rest are coming soon,” he said in the English-language video released on Thursday.
Hailing the “excellent relationship” between the two kingdoms, the ambassador said the evacuation mission was launched quickly in response to the Thai Foreign Ministry's request for help to extricate its citizens stuck in Sudan.
The North African country was plunged into conflict in mid-April when violence erupted between two rival military factions. Efforts to evacuate foreign nationals accelerated this week when the two warring sides declared a temporary ceasefire.
The ambassador also addressed moves to repatriate Thai and other foreign evacuees, saying Saudi Arabia “was keen to provide all the basic needs for foreign nationals in preparation for facilitating their departure to their countries”.
He said about 2,425 people from 74 countries had been evacuated from Sudan so far.
