Operation
From 17 April, following the worsening security situation, France started planning an evacuation. The options were air and the 800+ km Khartoum – Port Sudan road. The air option was chosen after general Burhan authorized the use of Wadi Seidna Air Base, [3] near Khartoum. [4]
Air
The operation started on 18 April with the stationing in Djibouti of three A400Ms, one C130H, a refueling A330 MRTT, 30 tonnes of equipment, vehicles, et 150 soldiers. [5] Chad and Metropolitan France were on alert, two A330s being mobilized. [6] [7]
On the night of 22–23 April, the operation officially started when the special forces C130H took off, followed by three A400Ms to Wadi Seidna. [8] The next night, two planes returned to Djibouti with about 200 civilians, including European Union diplomats. [9] [10] On 24 April, five A400M and two C130H flights evacuated about 300 more, ending the air phase. [11] [12] Command of the air base was left to Germany. [13]
On the night of 27–28 April, a C130 and two A400Ms left Djibouti with 32 soldiers to secure El Fasher Airport and evacuate around 100 non-governmental organization staff. [14] [15]
Land and sea
About ten buses ran from asssembly points to Wadi Seidna. [16] On 23 April, the French embassy –Khartoum convoy came under fire, both warring parties blaming each other. In the morning, a French special forces soldier was injured by a shot in the abdomen, [17] [18] before being stabilized by two Armed Forces Health Service surgeons deployed the day prior. [3] [13]
On 25 April, French frigate Lorraine, during long-term Red Sea deployment before active service, as requested by France and the United Nations, took hundreds of UN employees and their families from Port Sudan to Saudi Arabia. [19] [20] On 26 April, Lorraine arrived in Djeddah with 398 people, ending the naval phase. [21]
