Govt waiting for permission to land in Sudan to evacuate Malaysians, says Zambry

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has requested permission to land in Sudan in order to evacuate Malaysians stranded in the country.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that Malaysia was also looking into other options for relocating Malaysians.

"We are dealing with this issue through the diplomatic channels of various countries."

He said negotiations were ongoing with all sides of the conflict to ensure the evacuation efforts could be carried out smoothly.

"I, along with the Sudan Ops team, have been following in detail every step being taken since this morning," he told Sinar Harian on Sunday (April 23).

He said this in response to international media reports that the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority has extended the country's airspace restriction until April 30.

Meanwhile, he said the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Wisma Putra were trying to get in touch with the parties in Sudan in order to find ways to evacuate Malaysians out of the conflict zone.

The conflict in Sudan, which involves the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has sparked political turmoil and threatened security in the country, where - according to the World Health Organisation - nearly 300 people have been killed as of Wednesday (April 19).

According to the media reports, a total of 32 Malaysians are still stranded in the country.