Sudan: China deploys its navy to rescue citizens

China has deployed its navy to rescue citizens from conflict-hit Sudan.

“The navy was deployed on Wednesday in order to protect the lives and property of Chinese people in Sudan,” Chinese defence ministry spokesman, Tan Kefei said.

He however did not specify the number of vessels involved.

China said on Monday it had safely evacuated an initial group of citizens, estimating about 1,500 of its nationals were in Sudan.

And on Wednesday evening, Wu Xi, head of consular afairs at the foreign ministry, said that more than 1,100 Chinese nationals including Hong Kong residents had been evacuated.

China says it is Sudan’s largest trading partner, with more than 130 companies investing there as of mid-2022.

Rescue operations intensified in recent days as a 72-hour ceasefire took effect on Tuesday.

But some fighting was reported around the country on Wednesday, with witnesses describing heavy air strikes east of the capital, Khartoum.

The fighting has killed at least 512 people and wounded more than 4,000, according to Sudan’s health ministry, and reduced some districts of greater Khartoum to ruins.

Sudanese civilians have fled areas afected by fighting, including to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.

With Khartoum’s international airport disabled afer battles that damaged many aircraft, groups of foreigners have been airlifed out from smaller airstrips.

Other evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan, an 850-kilometre (530-mile) drive from Khartoum.