Evacuation of 177 Members of the Egyptian Air Force from Sudan

The Egyptian army announced that three planes carrying Egyptian soldiers who were in Sudan arrived at an airbase in Cairo yesterday, adding that the remaining Egyptian soldiers reached the Egyptian embassy in Sudan in coordination with the Red Cross for their evacuation. The Sudanese army reported today, Thursday, in a statement that "177 members of the technical crew of the Egyptian air force were evacuated after being held for a few days in the city of Merowe in the north of the country by rapid support forces, to the Arab Republic of Egypt." The statement indicated that the evacuation "was carried out from Dongola Airport in the north of the country via four Egyptian military transport planes," noting that "the Egyptian forces were in Sudan to participate in joint air force training." For its part, the rapid support forces announced that they handed over 27 Egyptian soldiers to the International Red Cross. The Egyptian army did not announce the evacuation operation but previously stated in a brief report that it was coordinating with Sudanese authorities to secure the return of its forces. Egyptian media reported yesterday, Wednesday, that "the first batch of Egyptian soldiers held in Sudan has arrived in Cairo." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi revealed last Monday that "Cairo is maintaining ongoing communications with the rapid support forces to ensure the safety and security of the Egyptian forces." Following the outbreak of clashes across Sudan between the rapid support forces and the army last Saturday, the rapid support forces released a video claiming to show Egyptian soldiers "surrendering" to them in the city of Merowe in the north of the country, which is roughly midway between the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the border with Egypt. The video showed several men, dressed in military uniforms, sitting on the ground and speaking with rapid support force members in the Egyptian dialect.