The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday urged all Filipinos in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to “go home” after infighting there between the military and paramilitary forces has claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people.
The DFA made the call amid reports of looting of homes of foreigners in the northeast African country.
“Our advice is still it is time to go home,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said, in an interview over TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
The DFA official noted that some 110 Filipinos still remained in Sudan despite earlier repatriation efforts of the Philippine government through the Saudi government.
“Others don’t want to go home because their employers still owe them.
They want to be paid first,” De Vega added.
Currently, the Philippines is processing the repatriation of 17 Filipinos who are at the Port of Sudan since two weeks ago.
“We are waiting for commercial flights to be available again. Before, Saudi (airlines) flies for free but not right now,” he said.
Deadly fighting raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Lamenting that the ceasefire is not being followed, De Vega pleaded with Filipinos there that it is now “mandatory” to leave the country.
“Economically, the country has collapsed,” he said, stressing that there is “always a chance” the situation could get worse.