Yoon orders dispatch of naval unit to war-torn Sudan to protect Korean nationals

Yoon made the order after he was briefed on the current fighting in Khartoum between the military and a rival paramilitary force, Lee Do-woon said in a written press briefing. The 304-strong Cheonghae Unit is currently docked at the Port of Salalah in Oman.

The instruction came in order to prepare for a situation in which the nationals cannot access the airport.

Earlier in the day, the presidential office held a meeting, chaired by Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk, with the relevant ministries on Sudan's conflict.

Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) urged the relevant authorities to put forth their utmost efforts and mobilize all resources possible to evacuate the South Korean nationals.

"The PPP will also do its best to provide full support (for the evacuation)," spokesperson Kim Min-soo said in a statement.

Military aircraft arrives in Djibouti to relocate S. Korean nationals in Sudan

A military aircraft on its mission to evacuate South Korean nationals in war-torn Sudan arrived at a US base in nearby Djibouti on Saturday, the defence ministry said.

The C-130J transport plane, carrying some 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, left for Djibouti the previous day, as the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is currently closed.

The evacuation plan came as the fighting between rival forces in the African nation has been intensifying recently. The total number of South Koreans in Sudan is estimated at 29.

South Korea is also considering an evacuation of its embassy in Sudan, according to sources.

The foreign ministry, meanwhile, said it has sent a separate team of eight staff members, including four personnel from its embassy in Ethiopia, to Djibouti to operate a task force team and work with the military for the safety of South Korean nationals in Sudan. 

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network