The Sudanese Armed Forces Evacuate Italian Catholic Salesian Sisters from Al-Shajara, South Khartoum*
*The Sudanese Armed Forces Evacuate Italian Catholic Salesian Sisters from Al-Shajara, South Khartoum*
6 August 2024
In a specialized military operation, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the General Intelligence Service successfully evacuated five Italian Catholic Salesian Sisters, a priest from the Italian Don Bosco Society, and twenty South Sudanese citizens from their residence in southern Khartoum.
This group had been stranded in the Al-Shajara area for an arduous year and four months, with their home being part of an educational service project known as Dar Maryam.
Throughout this challenging period, the Sudanese government and the Armed Forces consistently provided the group with essential supplies, medical care, food, solar energy, and fuel, ensuring their well-being amidst the chaos.
The Dar Maryam residence had been repeatedly targeted by the terr_orist Rapid Support militia (Janjaweed) in multiple assassination attempts, including sniper attacks, all of which thankfully failed.
An earlier attempt by the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate the group was thwarted due to the Janjaweed’s targeting of the convoy. Following this, the church formally requested the Sudanese authorities to evacuate their nationals from the besieged area. The Sudanese Armed Forces successfully carried out the evacuation to Omdurman and then to Port Sudan.
