Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks at Preah Barami Vongkot Borey Pagoda in the capital’s Sen Sok district on April 24. SPM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has asked Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions Othsman Hassan to work with his Malaysian counterparts to coordinate the evacuation of six Cambodian citizens who are known to be in Sudan.
The northeast African nation is currently the scene of intense fighting, as a power struggle between warring factions has erupted into a conflict that has reportedly killed hundreds.
Hun Sen issued the request while presiding over the inauguration of a new temple at Preah Barami Vongkot Borey Pagoda, in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district on April 24.
He also highlighted the peace that the Kingdom currently enjoys.
“We can celebrate like we are doing today, without worrying about bombs, as is currently happening in Sudan,” he said.
“I received information yesterday that there are up to six Cambodian Muslims in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. I have asked Hassan to follow the situation closely. If Malaysia decides to evacuate their citizens, the Cambodians who are trapped there may be able to accompany them. The fighting there is intense,” he added.
Hun Sen highlighted that there is no longer fighting in Cambodia, and drew attention to the recent celebrations of the Khmer New Year, when more than 13 million people travelled across the country.
In Phnom Penh alone, he noted, more than one million people visited to mark the occasion.
“This was the result of the Kingdom’s peace and political stability,” he said.
An Sokkhoeurn, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, could not be reached for comment on the situation in Sudan.
Global media has reported that the US and the British militaries have evacuated their respective embassy staff from Sudan, while several other nations are rushing to evacuate their citizens.
The fighting, between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, has been going on for eight days. It has sparked a humanitarian crisis, killed over 400 people and left millions of Sudanese stranded without access to basic services.
Royal Academy of Cambodia secretary-general Yang Peou said that peace is the nation’s greatest treasure.
“Whenever there is war, there is destruction. During times of war, there can be no development, and many people’s lives are lost,” he told The Post on April 24.
“When it comes to the situation in Sudan, it is fortunate that our ASEAN brothers and sisters in Malaysia may be in a position to help assist the small number of Cambodians who are living in Khartoum,” he added.
