Canadian officials were warned three weeks ago that Sudan was sliding towards a major civil conflict, raising questions about the Liberal government’s statements that the situation took the world by “surprise” amid concerns over the pace of evacuation efforts, multiple sources tell Global News.
While Canadian Armed Forces members and assets are already in the region, as of Wednesday they had yet to begin military evacuations for diplomatic personnel and Canadian nationals. The 180 Canadians that have been evacuated as of Wednesday have done so on aircraft operated by Canada’s allies.
On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said “the situation in Sudan happened very quickly” and when the violence started “it took the world by surprise.”
But high-level national security sources told Global News that Canada was receiving detailed and frequent updates through CAF liaison officers working with U.S. Africa Command for weeks.
The sources, who have direct knowledge of the evacuation planning but were not authorized to speak publicly, said the Canadian military had both contingency plans and the assets needed for an evacuation effort well in advance of the crisis.
The sources instead pointed to two “failures” to secure speedy evacuations for Canadians trapped by the conflict: a failure to make timely decisions to pre-position military assets, and a failure to exert political influence to secure landing strips that would’ve allowed military aircraft to land.
One senior source faulted a “slow decision-making process that needlessly endangered embassy staff.”
Global News reported Wednesday that Canadian military personnel, including special forces operators, were already on the ground in Sudan planning evacuation efforts, citing three sources. Two sources said the task force was operating out of Djibouti on Wednesday afternoon, and there are concerns about dangerous conditions in Sudan.
Defence Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday that some 200 CAF members were in the region and prepared to assist in evacuation efforts, and the government says a Global Affairs task force is operating out of Djibouti.
Anand told reporters in Ottawa that two C-130 Hercules aircraft are also “in the region” and are ready to begin airlifts whenever “conditions on the ground permit” – but would not offer a timeline. Anand said the planes arrived in the region “recently.”
“There are conditions that we are monitoring very closely. One of which is the space at the airport. Another is to ensure that Canadians are able to get to the airport in a safe and secure manner,” Anand said.
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Government officials, speaking at a technical briefing in Ottawa Wednesday afternoon, said one military airlift planned for Wednesday was cancelled, but several flights are scheduled in the coming days.
More than 11 days into the crisis in Sudan, roughly 180 Canadians have been evacuated from the country out of 700 who have requested assistance, according to updated government figures.
Joly said that more than 1,800 Canadians in Sudan are registered with the federal government. As of Tuesday night, at least 1,700 had been contacted by the government.
Fighting broke out in Africa’s third largest country on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and a paramilitary organization known as the Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The fighting has cast a shadow over hopes that Sudan could transition to democracy after decades of dictatorship and civil war.
Since the outbreak of the crisis, western governments – including Canada – have scrambled to evacuate diplomatic staff and nationals hoping to flee the hostilities. An uneasy three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia was reached Monday, but previous attempts to halt the fighting to allow civilians and foreign nationals to flee have failed.
No Canadian military evacuation flights had taken place as of Tuesday night, with Canadians escaping the country on airlifts co-ordinated by Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Canadian diplomatic staff have also been evacuated by U.S. personnel.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted the Canadian Armed Forces do have two ships in the region – HMCS Montreal and MV Asterix – but told reporters the situation is “extremely difficult” and said there were “limited” places to conduct airlifts to get Canadians out.
The evacuation of foreign nationals has stoked fears that the two sides will resume all-out conflict once the evacuations are complete, with many Sudanese attempting to flee during the uneasy truce. The Associated Press reported that bus stations in Khartoum were packed on Tuesday morning, while drivers jacked up prices to transport civilians to Port Sudan or to the border crossing with Egypt.
Sudan also holds one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, according to the United Nations, and years of violent conflict have displaced many within the country’s borders.
According to the latest UN estimates, at least 421 people have been killed and more than 3,700 injured since the fighting began. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned a “catastrophic conflagration” could cover the region if hostilities don’t cease, and has urged members of the Security Council to “exert maximum leverage” to pull the country “back from the abyss.”
In the House of Commons Tuesday night, both Joly and the Opposition Conservatives acknowledged the need to help the Sudanese people after the immediate crisis passes.
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, who pushed for the emergency debate, suggested authoritarian regimes like Russia are attempting to take advantage of the crisis – pointing to the presence of the Russia-backed Wagner mercenary group in the country.
“I think the great advantage we have as free democracies, when we are prepared to use it, is that we can always be on the side of the people. That’s what we should be focused on,” Genuis told the House of Commons.
“This is a truly all-hands-on-deck effort, and I encourage all members in this House to recognize the significant work being done,” Joly said, adding that her department was working with the Canadian Armed Forces, the immigration department and the Canada Border Services Agency to help both Canadians trapped in Sudan and Sudanese nationals trapped in Canada.
Joly said she was “very concerned” the conflict could lead to a larger humanitarian crisis in the region.
– with files from Global’s Sean Boynton and The Associated Press
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