The Government is seeking international assistance to evacuate over 100 Irish citizens as civil conflict in Sudan enters its second week.  

Fighting broke out in Sudan last Saturday following weeks of growing conflict between the rivalling Sudanese military and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  

The last reported death toll was at least 185 as over 1,800 people have been severely injured.  

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said "every effort is being made to assist" Irish citizens and they're "planning for assisted evacuation...when conditions make it possible". 

Independent TD and former Army Ranger Cathal Berry is calling on the Government to set up its own emergency response team. 

He called for the formation of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team which has been used “very well in the past”. It consists of “seasoned and experienced” Irish diplomats with “our best soldiers and crew from the Air Corps”.  

“We need a high-performance team to pull off an evacuation like this,” he said.  

Irish EU Ambassador Aidan O’Hara was assaulted by a group of men at his residence in the capital city of Khartoum yesterday. 

The 58-year-old was not seriously hurt, but Mr Martin described the attack as a “gross violation of the Vienna convention”. 

The US embassy in Sudan was evacuated in the early hours of this morning in less than an hour. Thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country were left behind because US officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. 

Generals have been running Sudan since a coup in October 2021. Conflict escalated following a proposed transition to civilian rule that would see the RSF integrate into the Sudanese army.  

The RSF seek to delay the integration for 10 years, but the army said it should happen in two years.