By Paschal Norbert
KHARTOUM, AUGUST 14, 2024 (CISA) – On August 4, 2024, the Sudanese Armed Forces, in coordination with the General Intelligence Service, executed a successful evacuation of five Italian Catholic Salesian Sisters, a Salesian priest and twenty South Sudanese citizens from their residence in Al-Shajara, southern Khartoum. The operation brought to an end a grueling year and four months of isolation and peril for the group.
“On the eve of August 5, 2024, the anniversary of the foundation of the Institute, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians joyfully announce the evacuation of the Sisters and the Mary Help of Christians community of Dar Mariam, of the Mary Help of Christians Vice Province (AES), blocked for a year and four months in Khartoum,” announced sisters of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Christians on their website.
According to a statement released by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on August 6, the evacuees had been stranded in Al-Shajara, a district caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict for more than a year. Their residence, known as Dar Maryam, had served as a refuge and part of an educational service project, which included a kindergarten and a primary school. This facility had provided critical support to numerous local residents, both Muslims and Christians, who sought sanctuary from the conflict.
The brave action and service by the army, which was also confirmed by the sisters indicated that during their time under siege, the Sudanese government and Armed Forces provided essential supplies, medical care, food, solar energy, and fuel to the group, helping to sustain them amid the chaos.
However, despite these efforts, the Dar Maryam residence faced repeated attacks from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), also known as Janjaweed, including sniper fire and bombings. The building was bombed twice during the conflict, causing significant distress and forcing the community to remain indoors for several months.
According to the army, earlier attempts to evacuate the group had been thwarted. In December 2023, an evacuation effort led by the International Committee of the Red Cross was disrupted when the convoy was targeted by RSF forces. Following this failure, the Church formally requested the Sudanese authorities’ intervention, leading to the successful evacuation on August 4.
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, on the eve of the anniversary of their Institute’s foundation, expressed their profound gratitude to the Sudanese Armed Forces for their successful evacuation. They also acknowledged the support of the Community of Sant’Egidio, which had organized a press conference on July 11, 2024, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan.
A large area of Khartoum remain under the control of the RSF, creating a perilous environment for both locals and refugees. The Dar Maryam Primary School, is attached to the sisters’ residence. 95% of the over 500 pupils are refugees from South Sudan. The house is in an area under the control of the SAF, but which was quickly surrounded by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.
The evacuation marks a crucial step in alleviating the plight of those caught in the conflict and underscores the ongoing challenges faced in Sudan’s volatile environment.
