Zambia says 10 citizens have left war-torn Sudan for Ethiopia

LUSAKA, Zambia

Zambia said Wednesday that 10 of its citizens who lived in conflict-torn Sudan had arrived safely in neighboring Ethiopia amid ongoing fighting in the Northeast African country.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary rapid support forces has so far taken over 400 lives, leading many countries to evacuate their nationals.

Stanley Kakubo, Zambia’s foreign affairs and international cooperation minister, said the 10 Zambians who made it to Ethiopia included six students and a family of four.

"The Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia is now taking care of the citizens," Kakubo said in a statement in Lusaka, the capital.

He said another citizen had crossed the Sudanese border into Ethiopia, while the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, which oversees Sudan, is in constant communication over travel arrangements.

"The remaining nationals are in transit to various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Their respective employers have facilitated the evacuation plan to safer locations," he added.

At the start of the hostilities nearly two weeks ago, 32 Zambians were known to be living in Sudan, including eight peacekeepers from the Zambian Army and police, six university students, two juveniles, and 16 others employed by various international organizations, including the United Nations.