A group of Gambian students have been evacuated out of war-torn Sudan a week after being trapped due to heavy fighting between Sudan’s army and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces.

The 59 students, including men and women, were trapped in their university hostel when the fighting broke out. 

Ba Seedy Trawally, spokesman for the Gambian students in Sudan, expressed relief as they boarded a bus to flee the war torn country. 

“Thank God, we the Gambian students in Sudan are right now on a bus traveling to get out of Sudan and come home. We are seeking your prayers for us to arrive home safely.”

However, their evacuation came after the students pleaded for help from The Gambia government to rescue them.

“We are still here and other countries nationalities have all left. It’s only The Gambia and Comoros whose citizens are still here. 

“We still need help, we should not waste anytime here because we have no electricity and water, the situation is very precarious here,” Mr Trawally pleaded. 

“We are in touch with the government but we need urgent help to get out of here. Many people are traveling on roads and you can only travel to get to Egypt and Ethiopia. The university has three hostels for men and women but for now we are all together.”

Sudan is gripped in a violent power struggle between two military strongmen Gen Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces and country’s president and his deputy and leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces General Mohamed Hamadan Dagalo better known as Hemedti. 

At least 459 people have died in the conflict so far, and thousands more injured. 

Reporting by By Adama Makasuba