Early on Monday morning, they landed a total of 25 Swedes – sent from Sida and the Foreign Ministry and their families – who were evacuated from Sudan on Sunday evening to safe ground.
– It is with joy and relief that we can announce that all seconded Swedish personnel from the embassy in Khartoum and their accompanying and additional Swedes have been evacuated from Sudan, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) at a press conference on Monday.
Kristersson describes the rescue operation, which took place in collaboration with the Swedish and French defense forces under French leadership, as complicated but successful.
– The security situation is extremely difficult and there is a risk of instability in the entire region, he says.
150 Swedish citizens remain in Sudan
According to the Swedish list, around 150 more Swedish citizens are in Sudan, where the fighting and unrest have escalated in recent days.
Ulf Kristersson emphasizes that the figure can both increase and decrease. For security reasons, several of them have also not been able to get to the places that have been assigned to accompany the night’s evacuation transport, which is described as a special effort that is deemed difficult to repeat.
“Ultimately, individual people also have a responsibility for this”
According to the prime minister, the government will continue to assist Swedes in the region – work that is said to take place in close consultation with other countries.
– We have a very special responsibility for sent Swedish families, of course it is. Then all Swedish citizens have consular support. It is not that Sweden can automatically bring home citizens from a country at war, but ultimately individual people also have a responsibility for this.
Between 140-150 Swedish soldiers are currently in Sudan to assist in the evacuation of Swedish citizens. But the number can be increased up to 400 if the security situation worsens, according to Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M).