The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Easter Sunday that two Greeks are in hospital following armed clashes in Sudan, amna.gr reports.
Fighting erupted on Saturday between army units loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council.
In the statement, the Foreign Ministry said Greece’s Crisis Management Unit had been activated as “the main concern at the moment remains the safety of the Greeks in Sudan.”
“The two wounded Greeks are in a hospital and so far, there is no information about other injured Greeks. For any new developments there will be an update,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the Embassy in Cairo is also in constant contact with Metropolitan Savvas of Nubia and the Ambassador of Greece in Cairo has contacted the Head of the EU Delegation in Sudan (Khartoum).
Ανακοίνωση Υπ. Εξωτερικών σχετικά με την κατάσταση που επικρατεί στο Σουδάν
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) April 16, 2023
Διαβάστεhttps://t.co/xRY8ie1Vo5 pic.twitter.com/UfmHXvpiuF
People trapped in Khartoum:
At the same time, 15 people have also been trapped since Sunday inside the Greek Orthodox Metropolis in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
Speaking to ERT, Metropolitan Savvas said that among the 15 people trapped are Greeks, Ethiopians, Russians and Sudanese.
Metropolitan Savvas also pointed out that whilst the Metropolis has been under fire, it is an old building with thick walls and is holding up.
“We are today at the centre of the dispute. They use heavy weaponry. One cannot go out, nor open the doors,” the Metropolitan said.
“There are stray bullets, so we are especially careful in places where bullets cannot hit because in the previous days they also hit doors and windows, so we are in places where we are not in danger.”
Alexandra Calumeti, who is among those trapped in the Metropolis, told ERT: “They have shot people today in the street. My mother took me and told me to try to come home. Then she took us back to warn us that destruction is happening next to our house and to stay inside because they are killing.”
Sources: protothema.gr, ertnews, amna.gr
