Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 25 delivered updates on the evacuation of Japanese expats in Sudan, thanking Korea and the United Nations. (Prime Minister Kishida's official Twitter account) 

By Lee Kyoung Mi

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has thanked Korea for helping evacuate Japanese expats from Sudan. 

In a news conference late in the evening of April 24, he delivered updates on the evacuation of Japanese nationals from the war-torn African country. "I'd like to express my gratitude to the countries involved including Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and related organizations like the United Nations for their cooperation," he added.

On the next day at dawn, he repeated his thanks through his social media channel. 

Earlier in Seoul, the Office of the President said, "Twenty-eight of our expats were evacuated by military plane, accompanied by several Japanese nationals in the area to ensure their safe evacuation." 

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 25 also expressed its "sincere thanks," saying, "We received cooperation from many countries and organizations including Korea, France, Germany, the U.S., U.K., UAE, Saudi Arabia, UN and International Committee of the Red Cross." 

Armed clashes intensified between the government's Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with attacks on hospitals, relief organizations and foreign embassies resulting in damage. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Sudan, and countries are scrambling to evacuate their citizens there. 

The two warring sides agreed to a 72-hour truce effective from midnight on April 24 under U.S. mediation.

km137426@korea.kr