• A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across the country.
• Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan's capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.
Image: HANDOUT
Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Alfred Mutua now says that the government has started evacuating Kenyans from Sudan.
In a statement, Mutua said his ministry has already engaged three evacuation programs for Kenyans in Sudan.
The CS noted that the first program has seen 29 Kenyan students cross the border to Ethiopia, where they will fly to Addis Ababa then to Nairobi.
According to Mutua, the 29 are currently head to Gondor where they will catch their flight to Addis Ababa.
"Two, we have a Kenya Airforce aircraft ready for a group of 18 students who are currently traveling by road to the South Sudan border. They will be airlifted to Nairobi," he said on Monday.
The Foreign Affairs CS said the third program will see a large number of Kenyans airlifted back into the country.
Mutua estimated the number to be between 300 and 400.
"Three, a larger group of Kenyans are on a well planned program of travel and we will have two aircrafts ferry them from Port Sudan to Jeddah and thereafter travel to Nairobi by Kenya Airways . We estimate to ferry 300-400 Kenyans this way, if not more."
Mutua thanked the governments of South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for granting permission for Kenyan planes to overfly their airspaces as they evacuate stranded citizens.
He also commended staff in Kenyans missions in the said countries and those working from Nairobi for seamless coordination.
"I also, in particular, thank the Governments of South Sudan and Ethiopia for heeding to our request and allowing Kenyans to cross their borders and make it to safety," the CS said.
Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan's capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.
A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across the country.
The power struggle has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.
There have been desperate calls for help from many foreign students - from Africa, Asia and the Middle East - who are also stuck in Khartoum, a city of some six million people.
Several ceasefires that had seemingly been agreed by both sides were ignored, including a three-day pause to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which started on Friday.
The UN has warned that up to 20,000 people - mostly women and children - have fled Sudan to seek safety in Chad, across the border from Darfur.