Federal Armed Forces deployment
German nationals evacuated from Sudan by the Federal Armed Forces. Due to the continuing violence in the country, family members from partner states were also flown out. Federal Chancellor Scholz thanked the Federal Armed Forces for carrying out this dangerous but important mission. The last plane left Khartoum on Tuesday evening.
4 Min. Lesedauer
The A400M transport aircraft is being deployed in the Sudan evacuation operation – this photo shows one taking off from Jordan.
Foto: Federal Armed Forces/Jana Neumann
The Federal Armed Forces have been evacuating German nationals and other foreign nationals from Sudan since the weekend. "I'm extremely grateful for the efforts of the Federal Armed Forces in Sudan," said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that it was a risky but important operation for keeping our own citizens and other foreign nationals safe.
The German Air Force Airbus A400M – the final one for the time being – landed in Jordan on Tuesday evening carrying another 78 people, bringing the total number of evacuees to over 700, of which 200 are Germans. The Federal Armed Forces have flown people from around 30 nations out of Sudan. "This is a huge achievement," said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, adding that it was the result of courage, teamwork. and the indefatigable commitment of many hundreds of Federal Armed Forces, Federal Police, and Foreign Office personnel.
"I’m relieved and extremely satisfied that this operation went so well," said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, adding that "We can all be proud of our troops: the team worked perfectly right from the start and did everything required of them." About 1,000 Federal Armed Forces personnel were deployed in the Middle East and North Africa to carry out the mission, and many more were on standby in Germany who could have been deployed at any time.
Germans are also being evacuated by international partner states
According to the Federal Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence, any German nationals in Sudan who have thus far been unable to get to the airport will continue to be airlifted out by our international partners over the next few days, as there are no plans for further German evacuation flights from the region, provided that other nations ensure the continued operation of air traffic. However, both the Federal Foreign Office's crisis support team and the Federal Armed Forces remain capable of mounting a response.
Federal Cabinet resolution concerning the operation
The Federal Government confirmed the military evacuation operation on Tuesday and sought the approval of the Bundestag. The most important questions and answers about the Federal Cabinet resolution.
The Federal Armed Forces were initially deployed and the evacuation operation initiated prior to the approval of the Bundestag in accordance with section 5 of the Parliamentary Participation Act, which allows for exceptions in cases of imminent danger where there is no time to lose. The same applies to rescue operations to extract people from particularly dangerous situations, which is why
the parliamentary party leaders of the Bundestag were notified of the start of the deployment as early as April 23, 2023.
The Federal Government took the decision to deploy up to 1,600 armed Federal Armed Forces soldiers to evacuate German nationals and other people from Sudan. The operational area comprises the national territory of Sudan and adjacent maritime areas. The cut-off date for the deployment is May 31, 2023.
Several hundred people, including many civilians, have already been killed and several thousand injured in the conflict in Sudan. The continuously escalating violence across large swathes of the country and in the capital Khartoum made it necessary for the German Armed Forces to intervene to protect German nationals and other eligible persons as well as foreign nationals from third countries.
In view of the violent attacks on diplomatic properties and international aid organisation personnel, the Federal Government has an obligation to evacuate German nationals and other eligible persons from Sudan with the aid of the military.
Ongoing violence in Sudan: There has been an escalation in the power struggle between the Sudanese army chief and head of state, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo resulting in a serious and violent crisis, which began on April 15, 2023, meaning that German nationals were no longer safe.
Call for ceasefire and support for political processes
The Federal Government has joined international partners and organisations in calling for a ceasefire and access to humanitarian aid. Commenting on the proclamation of a ceasefire, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office said on Tuesday evening: "The Sudanese people urgently need a durable ceasefire to prevent any further escalation of violence, but also to enable humanitarian aid to reach them. We are currently exhausting all diplomatic channels to achieve this." The Federal Government urged the warring parties to comply fully with the ceasefire and
reiterated its call for a return to civilian government in Sudan: "The opposing parties ought to make a sustained commitment to a return to civilian government in Sudan, as they have pledged to do," said Deputy Government Spokesperson Wolfgang Büchner: "For years, the Sudanese people have been fighting for a return to democratic order and risking their lives. Their commitment deserves our recognition and support."
Read more about the Sudan crisis on the Federal Foreign Office webpage.
To learn more about the evacuation operation, please visit the Federal Armed Forces website.