ISLAMABAD: The diplomatic mission of Pakistan in Khartoum came under fire on Wednesday amid clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a statement, the embassy said that it was hit by three bullets during the clashes.
Alhamdulillah everyone at the Embassy is safe after a few bullets grazed the Embassy wall this afternoon. We remain committed to serving the Pakistani community in Sudan.
— Pakistan Embassy Sudan (@PakinSudan) April 19, 2023
“This is a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention as the host government is responsible for providing security to diplomatic missions,” the statement said.
The embassy called on Sudan’s conflicting parties “to exercise constraint” and requested the Sudanese government “to immediately deploy security personnel for the protection and security of Embassy of Pakistan.”
Due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, all respected Pakistanis are requested to limit their activities and avoid going out of their homes. However, if there is any problem, please immediately contact the Embassy. Also save our helpline number 0924095119 in your phone so that 1/2 pic.twitter.com/q5X9YWdoTn
— Pakistan Embassy Sudan (@PakinSudan) April 15, 2023
The embassy urged all Pakistan nationals in Sudan “to stay at home and avoid unnecessary outgoings due to deteriorating security situation.”
Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan.
Nearly 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the RSF.
Some of the fiercest battles have taken place in the capital Khartoum, a city home to five million people, most of whom have been cloistered in their homes without electricity, food and water.
Several foreign diplomats have also come under attack in the capital. On Monday, the European Union ambassador in Sudan, Aidan O’Hara, was assaulted at his residence in Khartoum. A United States diplomatic convoy also came under fire on the same day.
And on Tuesday, Wim Fransen, head of the European Union humanitarian operations in Sudan, was wounded by a gunshot.
Many countries have started to make plans to evacuate thousands of foreigners from the north African country but their efforts have been put on hold by the ongoing violence.
Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”
Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.
— With input from AFP
