The South Korean military said on Friday that a military aircraft would be stationed at a US military base in Djibouti, east Africa, ready to fly into neighboring Sudan to rescue South Koreans.
There are now 26 South Koreans living in Sudan, a nation ravaged by factional violence since last Saturday, resulting in over 400 fatalities. All 26 passengers are safe, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.
“Our transport plane and troops will stand ready at a U.S. military base in nearby Djibouti to support the evacuation as our top priority while closely monitoring the local situation,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
The airport servicing Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum has been closed after fighting erupted between the leader of a paramilitary force and the army’s senior general. At the airport, there were fights, and planes were left smoldering on the tarmac.
The world community has been attempting to negotiate a truce in order to safely evacuate its citizens, but their efforts have so far proven futile.
A military spokesperson acknowledged that a South Korean aircraft had flown out for Djibouti, but he declined to provide any other details due to security concerns.
