Fighting raged in Khartoum
KHARTOUM, April 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s ambassador in Sudan, Aidan O’Hara, has been assaulted at his home in Khartoum, which is gripped by deadly fighting between rival forces.
The Irish diplomat was not “seriously hurt”, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin has confirmed.
Martin described the attack as a “gross violation of obligations to protect diplomats”.
Around 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured in three days of fighting, according to the UN.
The city has seen air strikes, shelling and heavy small-arms fire.
Both the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim to control key sites in Khartoum, where residents have been sheltering from explosions.
Martin described the ambassador as an “outstanding Irish and European diplomat who is serving the EU under the most difficult circumstances”.
“We thank him for his service and call for an urgent cessation of violence in Sudan, and resumption of dialogue,” he said.
Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted that the security of diplomatic premises and staff was a “primary responsibility” of the Sudanese authorities.
EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said the EU delegation had not been evacuated from Khartoum following the attack. Staff security was the priority and security measures were being assessed, she added.
US state department spokesman John Kirby said there were currently no plans to evacuate US personnel, despite ongoing security concerns and the closure of Khartoum’s airport.
But he urged all Americans to treat the situation “with the utmost seriousness”. — NNN-AGENCIES
