STRANDED IN SUDAN
Brits trapped in war-torn Sudan ‘forced to fend for themselves’ & ‘kill pets’ after being left behind in SAS evacuation
MORE than 4,000 British citizens remain trapped by deadly fighting in Sudan after being left behind in an extraction mission.
Now development minister Andrew Mitchell told Radio 4 that he "cannot give any assurances" on getting out the remaining Brits.
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Desperate to survive after other nations managed to rescue their citizens, some Brits have allegedly been forced to kill their own pets to save the poor animals from starving.
Mitchell told Radio 4: "I recognise that there will be some of our citizens who are very well informed and understand the situation locally extremely well who may decide to take other options, but they do so at their own risk.”
The Foreign Office said in a statement: "The safety of all British nationals in Sudan continues to be our utmost priority.
"We are working alongside international partners and doing all we can to ensure the safe passage of our citizens in what remains a very challenging context.
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"The FCDO continues to run a 24/7 crisis operation to provide support to British Nationals and their families."
UK diplomats were evacuated by British Special Forces over the weekend, with Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace citing 1,200 military personnel taking part in the daring mission.
But many have criticised the quick rescue of diplomats while citizens are left to sit at home while waiting for further instructions.
Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: "We have to think about the context in which British citizens find themselves which will be absolute abject fear. There is very little water left, there is very little food.
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"I'm even hearing stories of people killing their pets because they are worried they are going to starve. People are terrified.
"And across the world, there are very limited evacuations going on because of the complexities on the ground."
Many Brits in the country were only spoken to via mass text by the Government, with a message from the Foreign Office advising them to remain indoors and register their whereabouts.
Kearns continued: "As a former foreign office diplomat you are the last person out.
"However, there was a meaningful risk to the lives of British diplomats and that's why we saw all of our allies lift out their diplomats. But now the focus has to shift towards getting out British nationals."
A bloody power struggle between rivalling Sudan militaries has led to heavy bombardment of the capital Khartoum, leaving 400 dead and 3,500 injured.
Battles in the country have been raging for a week between troops loyal to ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and rebels led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — said to be backed by Russia’s Wagner mercenaries.
British-Sudanese writer Rozan Ahmed told how she had been left cowering under a bed for six hours.
She asked: “If there is no plan to get me out, please say why?
"We have received no information as to our evacuation.
"I am alive only by the grace of God and by the strength of my family.
“There are rogue soldiers in the streets raiding homes.
"We are terrified to a point where we have gone numb."
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Iman Abu Garga, a Brit visiting Khartoum, said she registered herself and her two children with the British Embassy last week as instructed — but has heard nothing since.
She said: “We have no idea about timescale, or what it will look like.”
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