The majority of the 897 Indonesian citizens who wanted to be evacuated by the Indonesian government from Sudan have left the country.
By
ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI, KRIS MADA
·5 minutes read
ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA
Indonesian citizens from Sudan line up to enter the bus at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Friday (28/4/2023). A total of 385 Indonesian citizens arrived in Indonesia after being evacuated from Sudan due to the armed conflict that occurred in that country.
A convoy of buses is moving quietly from Khartoum. Many thoughts are lingering despite the buses being crowded with Indonesian citizens participating in the evacuation mission. However, the bus feels lonely. It is so quiet that Muflih Hariman (22), one of the students from South Sulawesi who is currently studying at the International University of Africa (IUA) in Khartoum, does not hear anyone speaking.
"Maybe everyone is preoccupied with their own thoughts," he said. Muflih often stays silent while gazing at the desert landscape through the bus window. "When I first arrived here, everything was fine. Now I'm being sent back in this [war] situation," said the eldest of three siblings.
This alumnus of Tahfidzul Quran As-Salam Islamic boarding school in Sidrap, South Sulawesi, has reached his seventh semester at IUA and is set to earn his bachelor's degree in August. Next year, he plans to continue his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah. However, due to the war, he has been forced to leave his studies for an indefinite period of time. "I also left without saying farewell to my teachers and kissing their hands," he said.
Muflih is one of the 200 students and migrant workers who moved away from the epicenter of the civil war in Sudan that night. After a 16-hour land journey, they finally arrived around Port Sudan on Wednesday (26/4/2023) at dawn, local time. They are now preparing to return to Indonesia, as the war has forced them to temporarily put aside their hopes, leaving their studies and jobs.
Muflih was part of the second stage of the Sudan war evacuation. He and other Indonesian citizens (WNI) stayed at a local resident's inn, which was located about an hour away from Port Sudan. Despite the war, electricity and water services were not disrupted, and for logistical needs, WNI could go to the nearby convenience store.
They are now preparing to return to Indonesia, as the war has forced them to temporarily put aside their hopes, leaving their studies and jobs.
Muflih expressed his gratitude for having arrived at a safe location. Since Saturday (22/4/2023), he had received notifications about the evacuation plan from the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in Sudan and the Indonesian Embassy in Khartoum. He was then instructed to gather at a mosque in Arkaweet.
On Sunday (23/4/2023) morning, Muflih walked for about seven minutes from his residence to the gathering location. However, he had to return because he was part of the second stage of evacuation. On Tuesday (25/4/2023), he was already at the mosque at 7:00 a.m., but the bus arrived around 12:30 p.m. At around 1:00 p.m., he and over 200 other Indonesian citizens began the journey. There were seven buses heading to Port Sudan. The buses were equipped with air conditioning and were quite comfortable.
Throughout the journey, he saw the activities of the community in several areas remained normal, and stores were still open.
ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA
Indonesian citizens from Sudan on a bus at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Friday (28/4/2023). A total of 385 Indonesian citizens arrived in Indonesia after being evacuated from Sudan due to the armed conflict that occurred in that country.
Inspected
However, the feeling of war was still present. According to his memory, the bus was stopped three times by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia group, including during the night. The soldiers, dressed in brown military uniforms and carrying assault rifles, conducted inspections on the roadside but did not board the bus.
"The RSF troops only spoke with the driver who was also Sudanese. The driver informed them the passengers were Indonesians. The bus was allowed to continue the journey,” said Muflih.
Since Saturday (15/4/2023), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have been in conflict. SAF is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while RSF is led by General Hamdan Dagalo. Differences of opinion between them regarding the transition of political power from the military to the civilian government ignited armed conflict.
For Muflih, the evacuation to Port Sudan was quite nerve-wracking, especially when a bus carrying WNI had an accident. "The bus went off the road and passed through some rocks. Everyone is safe. The passengers were transferred to another bus," said Muflih.
The incident caused the journey to Port Sudan to be delayed from the planned 12 hours to 16 hours. Previously, 542 Indonesian citizens participated in the first stage of evacuation. They have crossed from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Intesive
Currently, the evacuation process is being intensified. The first stage of Indonesian citizens evacuated from Sudan will arrive on Friday (28/4/2023). The Indonesian Foreign Ministry confirmed some of the evacuees were flown from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday (27/4/2023). They are scheduled to land at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang on Friday morning.
Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Jakarta Faisal Abdullah al-Amudi stated Riyadh had assisted 67 countries in evacuating their citizens from Sudan. "This evacuation process shows Saudi Arabia is an important and reliable partner," said Amudi.
This evacuation process shows Saudi Arabia is an important and reliable partner.
Saudi Arabia has sent several ships to Port Sudan to assist in the evacuation process. In recent days, 2,351 people have been evacuated from Sudan to Jeddah. Among them are 560 Indonesian citizens, who were evacuated from Khartoum and several other cities in Sudan. In addition to the Saudi ships, 110 Indonesian citizens were flown from Port Sudan by an Indonesian Air Force plane (TNI AU).
Therefore, the majority of the 897 Indonesian citizens who wanted to be evacuated by the Indonesian government from Sudan have left the country. Amudi stated Riyadh continued to communicate with various parties to encourage peace in Sudan.
This article was translated by Tenggara Strategics.
