Japan is prepared to withdraw its citizens from Sudan, the government announced Wednesday, becoming the first foreign country to do so.
Since a weeks-long power struggle erupted into violent combat on Saturday, violence between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries has killed nearly 200 people.
According to top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno, there are about 60 Japanese people in Sudan, including embassy workers.
He told an emergency press conference that the defense ministry has initiated “necessary preparations” for evacuations.
“As the security situation there is worsening, the government is doing its utmost to secure the safety of Japanese expatriates,” Matsuno said.
International pressure is rising for an end to the fighting in the African country, with G7 foreign ministers advocating an urgent ceasefire between the warring parties on Tuesday.
Both factions are led by two generals who took power in a coup in 2021: Sudan’s army leader and his deputy, who controls the formidable paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The severe war has resulted in air strikes, tanks on the streets, artillery fire, and heavy shooting in densely populated areas of Khartoum and other cities.
