First Cypriot evacuated from Sudan

The first Cypriot citizen has been evacuated from war-torn Sudan and arrived safely on a flight to Aqaba, Jordan, according to Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.

He was removed safely from Sudan with Greek and other European nationals on a Dutch government flight.

Kombos Tweeted his “warm thanks” to his Dutch counterpart, Wopke Hoekstra, “for his country’s assistance.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis told CyBC radio that the crisis management centre worked throughout the night, intensifying efforts to return the rest of the Cypriots who were all in Khartoum.

Gotsis also said the Cypriot who was freed was in a place that favoured his evacuation together with the Dutch mission.

The situation in Khartoum, he said, is less chaotic after warring factions reached the new ceasefire agreement.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would intensify efforts to return all 22 Cypriot residents of Khartoum to Cyprus.

Warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire while Western, Arab and Asian nations raced to extract their citizens from the country.