Monday May 15, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Embassy in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, was looted by armed forces who took all the equipment from the embassy.
Somalia's ambassador to Sudan, Mohamed Sheikh Isaac, told the BBC Somali on Sunday that the embassy's neighbours confirmed that armed forces entered the embassy building and looted the properties.
"We were told that they broke the front and back doors of the embassy. They also entered the basement, where there were offices and a small library. But they did not find anything to take," said Mohamed Sheikh Isaac.
The ambassador underscored that the armed men did not find what they wanted, including money, gold, and other important equipment. "They only took a car parked in front of the embassy, which belonged to other people. They did not enter the upper floor where my office is located."
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) have safely evacuated 282 Somali citizens fleeing military infighting in Sudan. The safe return conducted between 30 April and 3 May, involved a combination of inland transportation and four charter flights.
The location of Somali Embassy in Khartoum also houses the embassies of Kenya, Djibouti, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Libya, and Eritrea. There is no immediate claim, and the Somali government has not blamed any group.
According to the United Nations, the ongoing unrest has killed at least 676 people and injured 5,576, as of Sunday. However, with many reports of people missing and bodies left unburied, the real toll is expected to be much higher.
About 200,000 people have fled into neighbouring countries, and more than 700,000 have been displaced inside Sudan, triggering a humanitarian crisis that threatens to draw in outside powers and destabilize the region.