The Swiss foreign ministry says it is examining ways to evacuate Swiss nationals and some of embassy staff from Sudan in a possible joint evacuation operation with other countries.
Over 100 Swiss nationals are currently in Sudan. However, the unpredictable nature of the conflict and a lack of security guarantees from the parties involved does not allow for a secure and organised departure, said Serge Bavaud, head of crisis management at the foreign ministry in a background discussion with journalists on Friday.
He went on to describe the difficulties surrounding evacuations, which would only be possible with military transport planes.
In addition, the Swiss government does not believe that all the Swiss nationals in Sudan want to leave the country. Only about a dozen have so far expressed interest in departure, said Bavaud.
Sudan has experienced a sharp increase in violence since mid-April, which led to the Swiss government to consider an emergency evacuation for the Swiss nationals living and travelling in the country.
Among the 100 Swiss nationals currently in Sudan, there are seven diplomats, two department of defence members working as part of a UN mission and the embassy staff. Additionally, the Swiss embassy employs around 50 local workers. According to Bavaud, the Swiss embassy in Khartoum is severely affected by the violence. The Swiss ambassador’s private residence and several staff members private residences were also hit during the fighting.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
The citizenship obstacle course facing spouses of Swiss Abroad
This content was published on
The Ethos Foundation recommends that shareholders vote against all compensation-related items at the Annual General Meeting on March 7.
Top Swiss firms close to reaching gender quota in boards
This content was published on
The proportion of women on the boards of directors of the fifty largest listed companies in Switzerland currently stands at 28%.
Swiss committee wants to end government resignations during legislative term
This content was published on
Members of the Federal Council should no longer be able to leave office before the end of their term, according to a House of Representatives committee.
Swiss government seat: Ritter and Pfister nominated to succeed Amherd
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from St Gallen and Martin Pfister from Zug were officially nominated by the Centre Party on Friday to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
Top Swiss court rejects Russian request for administrative tax assistance
This content was published on
There is currently no reason to transmit banking information to the Russian Federation, the Swiss Federal Court has ruled.
After strike by radiologists, doctors demonstrate in Bern
This content was published on
Following a strike by radiology technicians in Fribourg, doctors, vets, dentists and chiropractors expressed their frustration on Friday outside parliament in the Swiss capital.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.