Global Courant 2023-04-26 04:36:00
A Canadian trapped in Sudan says the country has fallen into “total chaos.”
“Our neighbors to the north and south of us were both hit by a (rocket-propelled grenade) – thankfully no one was hurt,” Safia Mustafa told CTV News from outside Sudan’s capital. “We usually sleep during the day if we can because at night it’s so scary, all you hear is bombs going off everywhere and you don’t know you’re going to get hit.”
Mustafa, who grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, moved to Sudan two years ago to care for her elderly parents and grandmother.
“My father passed away two months ago, God rest his soul, and now we are in the middle of a war,” Mustafa said in a video call with connection problems. “I don’t know how to get out of here.”
Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured since fighting broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would begin conducting airlifts from the East African country.
“It is clear that the situation in Sudan is extremely worrying,” Trudeau told reporters Tuesday morning. “We’re looking at doing direct airlifts – lifts of Canadians and family members.”
A German flight evacuated 58 Canadians on Monday. Of the approximately 1,500 Canadians registered in the country, about 100 made it through with aid from Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. According to Canada’s foreign minister, 550 Canadians have asked for help with their departure. Canadian diplomats have already been evacuated from Sudan.
“We didn’t hear from the Canadian government or the embassy here in Sudan for the first few days,” Mustafa said. “They have evacuated their personnel and I am very happy that they are safe, but nothing has been done for the civilians so far.”
Mustafa now faces the painful choice: stay in Sudan or flee without her 90-year-old grandmother.
“Basically you are told to go to a location and be evacuated from there, but unfortunately, because my grandmother is not a Canadian citizen, we haven’t gotten that chance yet,” Mustafa said. “So the choice is to leave her, which isn’t really a choice, or to save ourselves.”
Safia Mustafa is seen hiking in Alberta.
Even reaching a rendezvous point can be deadly. Mustafa and her family live on an island in the Nile that has only one bridge connecting it to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, where fighting is rampant.
“When you cross bridges, you risk getting hit, being targeted,” Mustafa explains. Taking a boat carries the same danger.
“There’s no way my grandma can make the overland journey, which is the other choice on the table right now: go all the way to Egypt, which takes more than three days for people,” Mustafa said. “I really don’t need to bury my grandmother by the side of the road.”
For now, the family can only hope for the best.
“We must stay until they all give us a way,” Mustafa said. “It’s just a little daunting that I have to choose between my grandmother or life.”
Their house is running out of supplies and Mustafa estimates they have about a week’s worth of food left.
“If we have to make the journey, we have to do it now,” she said. “We can’t wait another week, can we? We don’t know how bad it’s going to get, and I really don’t want to find out.”
With files from The Canadian Press
