TheNewsGuru

Tag: Egypt

  • Sudan: How Egyptian contacts helped perfect evacuation of Nigerians

    Sudan: How Egyptian contacts helped perfect evacuation of Nigerians

    Details have emerged on how the Nigerian security community used Egyptian contacts to perfect the evacuation of Nigerians escaping the war in Sudan.

    Following hostilities in Sudan, Nigerians in the Northeast African country had difficulties escaping from the hostilities. Nigerian officials involved in evacuating them faced difficulties as well.

    Eventually, the Nigerian government approved USD1.2 million to hire buses for the evacuation exercise. However, the fleeing Nigerians were denied entry into Egypt where they would be evacuated.

    Details emerged on Tuesday on how Nigeria secured a passage through the Egyptian borders for the citizens fleeing escalating hostilities in war-torn Sudan.

    Parts of the difficulties faced by the Nigerian officials include demand by Egyptian authorities for visas before entry, a situation which left thousands of Nigerian evacuees stranded at the border since last week Thursday.

    However, the situation turned positive on Sunday when the borders were flung open, with conditions, to Nigerians, following series of deft moves by top security and intelligence operatives in both countries, through some backdoor channels.

    According to reliable security sources, Egyptian authorities started admitting Nigerian evacuees on Monday after Nigerian security and intelligence community started deploying their contacts and connections with their Egyptian counterparts, to remove some of the hurdles that had frustrated Nigerian representatives’ efforts.

    A very highly placed source in the security community, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, told our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday that, on President Muhammadu Buhari’s instruction, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno, reached out to his Egyptian counterpart, Faiza Abou el-Naga, who pulled strings that have made the evacuation process smooth.

    Although the details of the arrangements were not made public, the source said “this initiative, which was broached and complimented by the Egyptian National Security Adviser (NSA), Faiza Abou el-Naga, and her Nigerian counterpart, General Monguno, has so far allowed a smooth movement across the border into Egypt.

    “Faiza told NSA Monguno that Nigeria’s request, which he submitted, had been graciously approved by President el-Sisi, who also sent his fraternal greetings to President Buhari. Consequently, the deployment of the NAF aircrafts and the one by Air Peace were to be allowed to proceed with evacuation plans.

    “Conditions required for the evacuation plans included details and schedules of the aircrafts, capacity of the aircrafts, strong pledge that once Nigerians depart the border, they would be conveyed to the designated airport, comprehensive list of the evacuees with passport numbers, valid travel documents, i.e passport or emergency travel certificate, and lastly, the presence of Nigerian government officials at the point of embarkation”, the source disclosed.

    It would be recalled that fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

    The escalating conflict has claimed more than 400 lives, while another 3,500 persons have been reported injured.

  • How President Buhari moved to secure smooth passage for Nigerian evacuees from Sudan

    How President Buhari moved to secure smooth passage for Nigerian evacuees from Sudan

    The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has confirmed the commencement of processing of Nigerian evacuees from Sudan stranded in Egypt after they were denied passage by the authorities.

    Dabiri-Erewa said that the Egyptian border had been opened, albeit with stringent conditions, after President Buhari’s intervention with the Egyptian President.

    “Nigeria Embassy in Egypt has moved all evacuees from the Sudan side to the Egypt side of the Arqeel border, with priority given to the females. They are now being prepared for their departure to Abuja through Aswan Airport,” the NIDCOM boss said in an update on Tuesday night.⁦

    A source familiar with the evacuation efforts who prefers to remain anonymous told our correspondent that President Buhari had directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno, to liaise with his Egyptian counterpart, Faiza Abou el-Naga, to ensure smooth passage for the stranded students after other efforts were met with obstacles.

    The sources said it was this arrangement that received the gracious approval of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and paved the way for the deployment of a support team from the Nigerian Air Force to complement Air Peace.

    Part of the conditions given by Egypt for passage include details and schedules of the aircraft, capacity of the aircraft, and a strong pledge that once Nigerians depart the border, they would be conveyed to the designated airport.

    Other conditions include a comprehensive list of the evacuees with passport numbers, valid travel documents, and the presence of Nigerian government officials at the point of embarkation.

    The first batch of returning Nigerian students is expected to arrive Abuja today Wednesday.

  • Sudan: Bus transporting Nigerian students catches fire

    Sudan: Bus transporting Nigerian students catches fire

    On Monday, one of the buses that was transporting stranded Nigerians from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to Port Sudan, where they were scheduled to enter Saudi Arabia, went up in flames.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that a total of 26 buses had departed from Al Razi at midnight and were en route to Port Sudan with the stranded Nigerians.

    “One of the buses conveying some 50 Nigerian students from Sudan with a tag number (Katsina 1) heading to Port Sudan as part of the second batch of FGN evacuation got damaged due to excessive heat from one of the vehicle’s tyres.

    “Dr Hashim Idris Na’Allah, the chairman of the Nigerian Elders’ Forum in Sudan, was one of the passengers in the said bus, which contained a total of 50 students (49 males, 1 female).

    “The incident happened around 2:30am Sudan time.

    “The driver stopped the bus near an RSF checkpoint, just before the tire exploded causing a fire to start.

    “All the passengers escaped unhurt.

    “Forty out of the 50 passengers were later distributed to the other buses evacuating the students, while the remaining passengers spent the night where the incident happened alongside the driver at the RSF checkpoint.

    “The students said the RSF really did their possible best to help the passengers and offered them with cups of tea in the morning before they left,” Daily Trust reports that Sani Aliyu who is in Sudan disclosed.

    Fortunately, the passengers were able to continue their journey to Port Sudan despite the mishap.

    More than 1,000 Nigerians have been left stranded and are being evacuated through the Port Sudan route due to the challenges encountered in getting the first set of evacuees across the Egyptian borders.

    The group of stranded Nigerians has been stuck at the borders for five days after being denied access into Egypt by officials. The flights scheduled to airlift them to Nigeria are already waiting, but the stranded Nigerians have been unable to enter Egypt to board their flights home

  • BREAKING: Finally, Egypt opens border for evacuation of Nigerians

    BREAKING: Finally, Egypt opens border for evacuation of Nigerians

    Egypt has finally opened its border for the evacuation of Nigerian students escaping the war in Sudan.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) made the disclosure on Monday.

    The NIDCOM boss disclosed that the Egyptian border was opened with stringent conditions.

    Dabiri-Erewa said the border was opened after President Muhammadu Buhari spoke with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian president.

    “With the intervention of President Buhari, Egypt has finally opened its border to Nigerians fleeing Sudan.

    “With an Airforce plane already on the ground in Aswan, Egypt, the processing of the first set of evacuees will begin,” Dabiri-Erewa tweeted.

  • JUST IN: NANSS, finally confirms evacuation of all Nigerian students from war torn Sudan

    JUST IN: NANSS, finally confirms evacuation of all Nigerian students from war torn Sudan

    Nigerian students remaining in Khartoum, Sudan, have all been evacuated from the raging war in the country.

    This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the National Association of Nigerian Students Sudan.

    The statement, signed by the NANSS Public Relations Officer 1, Amal Mohammed Pantami, said: “This is to inform the general public that all the remaining Nigerian students have been evacuated from Khartoum today Sunday 30th April, 2023.

    “There were a total of 26 buses, and each bus contained about 50 people.

    “We continue to ask for everyone’s prayers, and we hope all the students are able to reach Nigeria safely.

    “We are ever grateful for your continuous support and prayers.”

    JUST IN: NANSS, finally confirms evacuation of all Nigerian students from war torn Sudan

    Nigerian students remaining in Khartoum, Sudan, have all been evacuated from the raging war in the country.

    This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the National Association of Nigerian Students Sudan.

    The statement, signed by the NANSS Public Relations Officer 1, Amal Mohammed Pantami, said: “This is to inform the general public that all the remaining Nigerian students have been evacuated from Khartoum today Sunday 30th April, 2023.

    “There were a total of 26 buses, and each bus contained about 50 people.

    “We continue to ask for everyone’s prayers, and we hope all the students are able to reach Nigeria safely.

    “We are ever grateful for your continuous support and prayers.”

  • Sudan: Egyptian border remains closed against Nigerian students

    Sudan: Egyptian border remains closed against Nigerian students

    The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has disclosed that the Egyptian border is still not opened yet for students and other Nigerians escaping from Sudan to be evacuated.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NiDCOM disclosed this via Twitter on Monday but confirmed that the Nigeria Airforce (NAF) is ready to carry out the evacuation.

    “The Egyptian border still not opened for our students, but the Nigeria Airforce is ready, the NAF C 130 landed in Aswan Airport, and they say “We will not leave without our students,” NiDCOM tweeted.

     

     

  • Sudan: FG defends $1.2m spent on evacuating Nigerians

    Sudan: FG defends $1.2m spent on evacuating Nigerians

    The Federal Government has explained that the sum of 1.2 million dollars allegedly spent in hiring buses for the evacuation of Nigerian students in Sudan was due to the dire need of the war situation.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Mrs Rhoda Iliya.

    It was also signed by officials of the ministry of foreign affairs Ambassador Janet Olisa and Dr Sani Gwarzo of Humanitarian affairs ministry in Abuja on Saturday.

    ”The outcry over the negotiated sum of 1.2 million dollars for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for.

    ”The amount in question was negotiated in a condition of war and where there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens.

    ”The general public is hereby advised to discountenance the unverified information being circulated on the social media as some of them are either due to ignorance or sheer mischief,” it said.
    The statement also appealed for cooperation and understanding of all Nigerians in the ongoing efforts to ensure all Nigerians stranded in Sudan are returned home safely.

    ”The first batch of 13 buses conveying six hundred and thirty seven (637) evacuees had arrived the identified safe borders at Aswan, Egypt.

    ”The evacuees are undergoing necessary documentation and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria in the coming hours by the Nigerian Air Force and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.

    ”However, the movement of the second batch of 29 buses will commence on April 29 and the evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage.”

    It advised Nigerian students awaiting evacuation from Khartoum to cooperate with embassy officials for proper documentation while embarking on the buses to the designated  locations.

    ”This will go a long way in speeding up the process and avoiding unnecessary delays with documentation and clearance upon arrival at the Aswan, Egypy.”

    The government expressed commitment towards successful evacuation of all Nigerians stranded in Sudan before the expiration of the extended 72 hours ceasefire agreement.

    ”We want to use this opportunity to extend our appreciation to friendly countries who have in one way or the other assisted in bringing succour to Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan.

    ”Particularly, Nigeria acknowledges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously assisting with the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory, from where they would be airlifted back to Nigeria,” the statement added.

  • BREAKING: Nigerian students in war-torn Sudan head to Egypt [VIDEO]

    BREAKING: Nigerian students in war-torn Sudan head to Egypt [VIDEO]

    Nigerian students in war-torn Sudan are currently on their way to Egypt from where they will be airlifted to Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Nigerian students, stranded in Sudan as a result of conflict by rival groups, would be airlifted from Egypt through Cairo.

    Buses hired by the federal government had arrived at the meeting point of International University of Africa, Khartoum for the evacuation.

    A set of five 200-seater buses drove into the venue Tuesday at exactly 7:30 pm local time (5:30 pm – Nigerian time) with two Hilux trucks of security personnel and a small bus of embassy officials.

    A student leader confirmed the development,”the officials have started clearance and verification of students at the venue and some students are ready to board.

    “We are discussing giving out 60 per cent of the first available seats to the female students and children while the male students take up the remaining 40 per cent.

    “We are told that more buses are coming and the officials also brought some snacks and water too. On this note, we wish to sincerely thank them for this gesture and their efforts toward ensuring that we returned home safe,” the student stated.

    Speaking before the arrival of the buses, an evacuation committee member said, it’s risky to transport huge number of students from one point to another in present day Sudan without the assistance and cooperation of both warring troops.

    “There are basically two reasons for the delay of the buses to the venue. One, we are yet to get clearance from both authorities as it is risky to move the students without such clearance and then the mode of payment to the bus company took a while to clear.

    “But I assure you, the evacuation of the students will begin in a short while as the payment has cleared and we have secured clearance from both warring generals.

    “The NEMA DG is already in Cairo and some staffs are at the Egyptian border to help ease their entry as we speak. Also, more committee members and officials are airborne to Egypt all in an effort to ensure the safe return of all Nigerians in Sudan,” the committee member explained.

    Meanwhile, Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has said the government is anxiously looking forward to receiving the students safely in the country.

    https://twitter.com/abikedabiri/status/1651148213926211585?s=19

  • Egypt 2023: Nigeria to face Gambia in semi-final clash

    Egypt 2023: Nigeria to face Gambia in semi-final clash

    The Gambian U-20 side made it to the semi-final of the ongoing 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nation after thumping South Sudan 5-0 on Friday.

    The result meant that the tiny west Africa nation will be featuring at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup slated for Indonesia in May.

    The Young Scorpions will face the Flying Eagles in a West African derby in the last four to hope for a palce in the final of the competiton.

    The semi-final encounter will take place at the Cairo International Stadium on Monday.

    The Flying Eagles booked their place in the semis after a hard-fought 1-0 win against the Hippos of Uganda on Thursday in Alexandria.

    The Gambians are unbeaten in the competition, while the Flying Eagles have lost once.

    Senegal will face Tunisia in the other semi-final clash on Monday for a place in the final of the tournament.

    Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia and Tunisia will fly Africa’s flag at the U-20 World Cup scheduled to hold in Indonesia in May 2023.

  • Egypt 2023: Senegal beat Flying Eagles 1-0 to top group A

    Egypt 2023: Senegal beat Flying Eagles 1-0 to top group A

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria started their campaign in the 2023 U-20 AFCON tourney on a shaky note after losing to the young Teranga Lions of Senegal by 1-0 in the match day one-second group A game at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt on Sunday evening.

    Ladan Bosso’s side had chances to open scoring early in the encounter but failed to take them. Senegal soon settled into the game and later scored a well-deserved goal in the 40th minute courtesy of CF Talavera striker, Souleymane Faye’s goal.

    Unfortunately, as the match progressed, the Nigerian side lost dazzling Midfielder, Daniel Daga to injury which may rule him out of the championship.

    On resumption of the second half of the game, Flying Eagles continued to mount pressure on their opponents but poor finishing by their strikers, Adams Olalekan, Rilwanu Sarki and Ibrahim Beji Mohammed denied them.

    While pushing for an equaliser, the Nigerians were reduced to 10 men with Ahmed Abdullahi’s sending off in the closing stages of the match.

    Libasse Ngom almost made it 2-0 for Senegal when he rounded Nwosu but his eventual shot came off the crossbar as two defenders frantically ran onto the goal line to clear the ball.

    Nigeria’s first shot on target came in the 88th minute from a long-range shot fired by Onuche Ogbelu but comfortably saved by Landing Badji.

    Senegal top group A with 3 points , while Egypt and Mozambique occupy the second and third position respectively after both teams played out a goaless draw in the competition’s opening game.

    The Nigerian U-20 side presently occupy the bottom of the log but still have a date with Egypt on Wednesday in the second game of group A.