Trapped in Sudan: Sudanese staff of European embassies question why they are not being evacuated

As European embassies celebrate evacuating their international staff from Sudan, local staff have experienced differing levels of support, with some saying they feel abandoned.

One Sudanese employee of an European embassy, who asked that it not be identified to protect her job, said she heard of some embassies evacuating local staff, whereas others, “like the embassy, I work for, failed to even inform the staff about the evacuation of internationals and left them behind without resources, including April’s salaries”.

She said this left people stranded when they desperately need access to money. “I’m sure you also know how service providers are capitalising on this crisis and inflating bus ticket prices, in addition to the shortage in fuel and scarce food and water. All this demands lots of money,” she said.

While the local staff of her embassy received WhatsApp messages telling them to stay safe and shield at home, “they didn’t ask the employees about their situation. No one was contacted individually.”

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The Dutch ministry of foreign affairs was the only one which said they have evacuated some of their 17 local staff, as well as all international staff

“In Afghanistan, for example, [foreign embassies] evacuated the local staff, but they didn’t even discuss this with us. I don’t think we were considered for evacuation to begin with.

“They know that working for embassies is not the safest, especially post [the] October 25th, 2021, coup, and now this war is bringing back all [the] Islamists and their loyalists, who will target embassy staff, especially ones working in [the] political and development sections.”

The Irish Times put inquiries to the Swedish, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, Swiss, French and EU embassies or foreign affairs ministries. The Irish Embassy in Kenya covers Sudan, meaning Ireland was not operating an embassy in Khartoum when fighting broke out.

Of those that replied, the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs was the only one which said they have evacuated some of their 17 local staff, as well as all international staff. A spokesman said further assistance for those left behind is “very limited,” though they will “continue to support them”.

He said evacuations are still underway, but “communication [with those still in Sudan] is very difficult, so we don’t know exactly what their individual plans are”.

However, he said, “in principle” Sudanese staff “can be evacuated if they wish”.

Norway’s foreign affairs ministry said they evacuated three Norwegian diplomats from Sudan, but are “fully occupied with the crisis” and would not be able to answer further questions about local staff.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said it evacuated all international staff members and three “accompanying persons”.

While it employs about 50 local staff in its Khartoum embassy, local employees are not evacuated to Switzerland. “Only in certain circumstances may local employees be evacuated, as was the case with Afghanistan in 2021 (because they were directly threatened by their function and/or their link to the Swiss representation, which is not the case with the crisis in Sudan).”

The spokesperson said their information is that “local employees are doing well, despite the circumstances,” and they would continue to support local staff “to the extent possible”.

We are taking care of Sudanese nationals who are in this situation with the same attention we are devoting to our evacuees

—  Italian embassy’s consular office

A Swedish ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson said they are in contact with approximately 20 local staff. “The current situation is very tragic and severely impacts the country’s citizen[s], including local staff who work at various embassies in Khartoum. Our assessment is that the embassy staff are currently no more vulnerable than other people in Sudan,” they said.

“We are taking care of Sudanese nationals who are in this situation with the same attention we are devoting to our evacuees,” said the Italian embassy’s consular office, without specifying if this means they have the chance to evacuate.

The EU embassy said the ambassador, Irish man Aidan O’Hara, and all EU expatriate staff have been evacuated with the support of France and they are being temporarily relocated to Brussels. It said the 28 local staff it employs are being assisted in their efforts to leave Sudan. “Neighbouring EU delegations - and particularly the ones in Egypt and Saudi Arabia - have been mobilised to facilitate their border crossing,” it said.

The Spanish, German and French embassies did not respond.

An unknown number of Sudanese people are trapped in Sudan because they applied for European visas prior to the fighting, and embassies closed down without returning their passports.

On April 25th, the Dutch foreign ministry tweeted at one person affected saying “we deeply regret the current situation you’re in. We were forced to close the embassy and evacuate our staff. Unfortunately, this means we can’t get to your passport. We advise [you] to apply for a new passport with your local authorities.”

The response prompted outcry from many Sudanese people online, who said it is impossible to apply for a new passport in the middle of a war zone.

A spokesperson for the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs said “several dozen” passports were left behind at its embassy. “We are looking into possibilities to help with other partners, but as there [are] no staff in Khartoum our options are severely limited.”

A Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said it also has passports. “As soon as the situation on the ground allows the passports to be issued, the persons concerned will be contacted.”

The Italian embassy’s consular office said their embassy is closed. “We are aware that many Sudanese citizens are looking for their passports. We are keeping in touch with all concerned people and will do our utmost, even under the current circumstances, to return them back as soon as possible.”

Despite not operating an embassy in Sudan, an Irish Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said Ireland’s honorary consul’s office “was in possession of documents related to a small number of visa applicants prior to the outbreak of conflict. However, the office is not currently operational … Anyone who has been impacted should make contact with the Embassy of Ireland in Nairobi.”

A Swedish ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson said they could not clarify how many passports they are holding as that would involve “comment[ing] in detail on the security measures that the embassy has taken ahead of the relocation” which “would defeat the point of those measures”.

When asked what affected people should do now, the spokesperson said: “For enquiries about the status and processing of individual migration cases, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency.”

Sudanese film-maker Ahmad Mahmoud, whose passport is held by the Swedish embassy, told the Irish Times this week that he has been given no indication of how or when he can get it back. “Every day it’s becoming more crucial to leave the country,” he said. “The fighter jets are constant, the bombing is constant, and at any point the troops might land here and the fighting might become even more intense. So I feel that we might have to leave soon, but I can’t leave without my passport.”