Nairobi — Nineteen Kenyans are among thirty-nine evacuees fleeing the war in Sudan that have jetted back home.
They arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Monday night with 20 other foreigners and were received by Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Duale said the students traveled by road to South Sudan where they boarded the military aircraft, adding that more Kenyans were scheduled to be airlifted.
"I applauded the youngsters for their courage and resilience in braving the ongoing bloodbath and, further encouraged Kenyans stranded in Sudan and their families back home to continue registering with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, for logistical purposes," he said in a tweet.
"The 39, all students at the International University of Africa, Khartoum, were rescued at the Paloich Airport, South Sudan by the Kenya Air Force after a long and tiresome trek, amidst the deafening sounds of guns and bazookas."
More evacuations are underway, with the Ministry of foreign affairs saying three evacuation exercises are set to take place.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua thanked countries that allowed Kenyans fleeing from Sudan to cross the border and "granted permission for Kenyan planes to overfly their airspace."
"The Government of Kenya wishes to thank our friendly neighboring nations which have not only opened up their borders to enable Kenyans cross their borders, but have also granted permission for Kenyan planes to overfly their airspace as we continue evacuating stranded Kenyans in Sudan to safety," he said.
"We have already evacuated some students and are in the process of evacuating more than 300 other registered Kenyans in Sudan."
Additionally, he called upon the Kenyans in Sudan who haven't registered with the embassy to do so immediately to enable plan for their evacuation.
"I am calling upon all Kenyans in Sudan who have not registered their details with the embassy, to do so immediately, so as to enable us plan for their evacuation too," he added.
He said Kenya has already facilitated 29 Kenyan students to cross the border to Ethiopia and are on their way to Gondor where they will fly to Addis Ababa and then to Nairobi.
Kenya now joins other countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Canada who have already evacuated some of their citizens.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The World Health Organization reported that the fighting has resulted in more than 400 fatalities and thousands of injuries since the war broke out last Saturday.
Last week, President William Ruto urged the warring parties to comply fully with the resolution of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State Summit held on Sunday. Ruto called on General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to immediately stop fighting and allow dialogue to take place.
The President expressed his concern over the worsening situation in Sudan, which he said threatens the stability of the region and the entire continent.
"Kenya is deeply alarmed that a misunderstanding over a single outstanding item in the Political Framework Agreement, namely the timeframe for integrating the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), has degenerated into violent conflict," said Ruto.
