Nigeria students send letter for ‘help’ as fight for Sudan continue

Dis na as violent clash dey go on between di Sudanese Army and one paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces.

Oga madam for Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa say di plight of Nigerian Students for Sudan na serious concern to dem and add say:

“Di National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) wey dey in charge of emergency evacuations, dey consult with di Nigerian mission for Sudan and oda relevant agencies.”

Madam Abike tok dis for statement wey Gabriel Odu from di Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM, release.

She say di Commission receive letter from di National Association of Nigerian Students Sudan wey call for di evacuation of students especially those for Khartoum, Sudan capital.

PRESS STATEMENT

DABIRI-EREWA GIVES UPDATE ON NIGERIAN STUDENTS IN SUDAN

Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM), has noted with concern the plight of Nigerian Students in Sudan over the escalation of hostilities between the Sudanese… pic.twitter.com/OFGnzm1KLJ

— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) April 20, 2023

Madam Abike come advise all Nigerian Students for Sudan plus Nigerians wey dey live dia to dey security conscious and calm.

Who dey fight who for Sudan?

Di Sudan army and di paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) don dey fight since Saturday for clashes wey don kill at least 270 pipo.

Since di 2021 coup, Sudan, na council of generals wey two military men dey lead, dey run Sudan.

Dis two military men na dem dey di centre of di crisis inside di kontri.

Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, wey be di head of di armed forces and in effect di kontri president.

And im deputy and leader of di Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, wey dey known as Hemedti.

Two of dem disagree with each oda on di direction wey di kontri dey go and di plan move to bring civilian rule.

Di main issue na plans to include di 100,000-strong RSF into di army, and who go then lead di new force.

Wetin di two sides want?

Gen Dagalo don bin tok say di 2021 coup na mistake and don try to present imsef and di RSF to show say dem dey di pipo side, against di Khartoum elites.

While e get some support, odas find dis message hard to believe sake of di paramilitary force wicked track record.

Meanwhile, Gen Burhan don bin tok say di army go only fully hand ova power to elected goment.

But suspicion dey ground say both military men, and dia supporters, dey worried about wetin fit happun to dia wealth and influence if dey remove dem from dia powerful positions.

Why di fighting for Sudan start now?

Di violence na afta days of tension as dem send members of di RSF around di kontri last week and di army see dis move as threat.

Small hope dey say tok-tok fit settle di situation but e neva happun.

Argument dey ground on top who fire di first shot on Saturday morning but fighting don spread to different parts of di kontri.

Di fighting don affect food supplies, cut access to water and electricity.

UN warn say between 10,000 and 20,000 pipo don run comot Sudan to seek safety for neighbouring Chad.

‘I dey drink water from River Nile’

Dis na one BBC reporter experience:

Afta six days of serious fighting wey don affect normal life for Sudan capital, Khartoum, I just leave my house for di first time.

Although I still fit hear explosions and gunfire across di city, I no get any oda choice.

We no get water again. So I gatz drive go River Nile.

Inside my house, I don dey hide with my wife and children since. Clashes dey happun near my house.

Wen we hear bomb, we go hide under di furniture to try and protect oursef.

Di bombing don touch key infrastructure, like water pipes. So we no get running water and light plus internet supply dey go on and off.

So I go one nearby store to try and buy water and oda important tins – but di shop dey closed.

Many families, like my own, dey for di same position – Dem dey trapped for dia houses for days and water and food don dey finish.

So I decide to risk di journey to one of di longest rivers for di world to look for drinking water.

I drive my car. Most of di gas stations dey closed, and di price dey increase more-more. But I get fuel.

I don dey report from Sudan for almost 20 years.

I don cover protests and military coups before, but dis coverage na di most difficult becausee dey happun right on di streets around me.

E feel like death dey around us.

As I dey try go di river, groups of pipo like me, dey run go dis area, wey be one of di places where pipo dey collect water.

Dem dey come here to baf, wash tins and get drinking water.

Wetin oda kotries dey do about Sudan crisis?

Fear dey ground say di fighting fit divide di kontri, worsen political turbulence and draw in neighbouring states.

Diplomats, wey don play important role to try encourage di return to civilian rule, dey try to find a way to get di two generals to tok.

One regional bloc agree to send three presidents – from Kenya, South Sudan and Djibouti – go Khartoum.

But e no dey clear if dem go fit make di trip as no plane dey fly in or out of di kontri.

UK, US and EU don call for ceasefire and tok to settle di crisis.

About Sudan

-Sudan na north-east Africa and na one of di largest kontries for di continent, covering 1.9 million square kilometres.

-Na also one di poorest kontries for di world, with 46 million pipo wey dey live on average annual income of $750 (£606) a head.

-Population of Sudan na mostly Muslim and di kontri official languages na Arabic and English.

-Sudan get history of instability: Di military comot long-time leader Omar al-Bashir for 2019 afta mass protests

-And den overthrow one power-sharing goment for 2021, putting two men for top: Di head of di army and im deputy, wey also be di head of one paramilitary group wey dem call di RSF

-Dem disagree on how to restore civilian rule to Sudan: Di RSF leader claim to represent marginalised groups against di upper class for di kontri but pipo dey accuse dia forces of ethnic cleansing.