[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] UAE Supports Security Missions and Large Buses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government is reported to have played a decisive role in evacuating 28 Korean nationals in Sudan to the Red Sea port city of Port Sudan.

According to multiple government officials on the 25th, the U.S. base where the C-130J transport aircraft and the KC-330 Cygnus aerial refueling transport plane assigned to carry the nationals were stationed was 1,200 km in a straight line from Khartoum, making an airlift operation practically impossible. In particular, Khartoum’s airport was closed due to clashes between the two major armed factions.

The government chose a land route for the evacuation. They decided to move by large buses. The 28 nationals boarded one large bus at the Korean Embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Although the local situation was so unstable that it was impossible to predict even a short distance ahead, posing considerable risks for land travel, the government referred to the fact that Saudi Arabian and Jordanian refugees and UN staff had traveled by land to Port Sudan.

Six Buses for Land Transport and Security Support... Mediation in Evacuation Negotiations

Additionally, to maximize safety, the government reportedly chose to travel together with nationals from allied and neighboring countries. Besides the one large bus carrying our nationals, five other buses followed, carrying multinational foreigners from Asia and other regions.

The UAE not only provided the large buses but also took on security duties. Since violent clashes between government forces and paramilitary groups continued in North African Sudan, deploying the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Battalion could have risked involvement in the civil war. The UAE expressed willingness to support the land evacuation of our nationals, which the Korean government accepted. The UAE also mediated negotiations with both Sudanese government and rebel forces to ensure the safety of third-country nationals during the evacuation.

The six large buses arrived in Port Sudan around 21:40 on the 24th (Korean time). During the more than 15-hour journey, there were tense moments, including a breakdown of one bus that delayed travel by 6 to 7 hours. It is reported that there were many urgent moments during the land route, such as taking breaks or changing routes in preparation for any emergencies. The nationals departed from Port Sudan about an hour later at 22:30 on a C-130J transport plane bound for Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival at Jeddah Airport, the nationals boarded the KC-330 Cygnus air force transport plane for their return journey. They are scheduled to arrive at Seoul Airport at 4 p.m. on the 25th.

A government official said, “Two Sudanese nationals who initially wished to remain changed their minds, so currently a total of 28 people are returning on the KC-330.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.