Military aircraft arrives in Djibouti to relocate Korean nationals in Sudan
A C-130J transport plane, carrying 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, leaves for Djibouti, April 21, as the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is currently closed. Yonhap
A military aircraft on a mission to evacuate Korean nationals in war-torn Sudan arrived at a U.S. base in nearby Djibouti, Saturday, according to the defense ministry.
The C-130J transport plane, carrying 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, left for Djibouti the previous day, as the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is currently closed.
The evacuation plan came as the fighting between rival forces in the African nation has been intensifying recently. The total number of Koreans in Sudan is estimated at 29.
Earlier in the day, President Yoon Suk Yeol also ordered the swift deployment of an anti-piracy naval unit to waters off Sudan to protect Korean nationals. The 304-strong Cheonghae Unit is currently docked at the Port of Salalah in Oman.
The instruction came in order to prepare for a situation in which the nationals cannot access the airport.
Korea is also considering an evacuation of its embassy in Sudan, according to sources. (Yonhap)