Two more Japanese military planes sent to help Sudan evacuation

Tokyo, Apr 22 (EFE).- Two other Japanese military planes left Saturday to join the evacuation operation of Japanese citizens in Sudan due to the intensification of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces.

A C-2 transport plane and a KC-767 tanker and transport plane of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces left to join the C-130 transport aircraft that took off Friday to Djibouti, about 1,200 kilometers south of Khartoum, the Defense Ministry reported.

Japanese authorities have established the base of the operation there as they have an armed forces base to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and due to the complex situation in the Sudanese capital and its surroundings, where the airspace has been closed.

Some 60 Japanese citizens, including diplomatic personnel, were in Sudan as of Wednesday.

Japan this week announced the evacuation operation, one of the first, after fighting intensified in Sudan and worsened access to supplies to the country.

At least 330 people have been killed and more than 3,200 injured in clashes between the army and paramilitaries that broke out last weekend in Khartoum and other cities across the country, according to the World Health Organization.

The fighting that began on Apr. 15 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, arose after weeks of tension over the reform of the security forces in negotiations to form a new transitional government.

Both were involved in the joint coup that overthrew the transitional government of Sudan in October 2021. EFE

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