Nigerians must not die in the Sudanese conflict, NLC says

Nigerians are suffering as a result of the war in the Republic of Sudan, the Nigeria Labour Congress has noted, adding to its concern.

In a press release, he released on Saturday, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the president of the NLC, called for an immediate ceasefire to allow for a peaceful resolution of the issues that sparked the war.

While pointing out that it is the duty of any government to protect people and property, Ajaero questioned why the Federal Government of Nigeria had not yet evacuated trapped Nigerians in Sudan.

“At this point, we are not particularly worried about the history and immediate causes of the war, but we are worried because many Nigerians have unwittingly become victims of the war and are stuck in that country and unable to leave,” he said.

They have cried out for assistance in order to escape the horrors that the war has continued to inflict upon those who are still trapped in Sudan.

“The NLC is concerned that since the conflict began toward the end of last week, reports about the number of fatalities have been horrifying and terrifying, which has left every patriot concerned about the safety of our citizens there, especially our students.

“We think that any government still has a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens, and part of that duty is ensuring that citizens are protected in any way possible in the event of a war in another nation. The security of people’s lives and properties is one of the main justifications for governance.

While we express our sympathies to the people and workers of Sudan and call for an immediate cease-fire to allow for a peaceful resolution of the differences that sparked the war, we are perplexed as to why the federal government of Nigeria finds it difficult to ensure the safety of the lives of our citizens in that country beyond the token effort at protection through an advisory to all Nigerians in that country to either seek refuge in our embassy in Khartoum or st
The NLC President claimed that the government’s justification for not rescuing trapped Nigerians in Sudan was unworthy of note.

The justification that trying to evacuate our nationals through the airport is risky begs the question and is unacceptable, according to Ajaero. Before returning to this apparent helplessness and apparent abandonment of our citizens, who are obviously in great distress and fear for their lives every day, we don’t understand whether other potential options for evacuation of our citizens have been explored.

“It is cliche diplomacy that in such a situation, serious governments will come to an agreement with the warring parties for the removal of their citizens from the theatre of war, which significantly lowers the risk of loss of life and that of the equipment used in such operations.

Can we not establish a safe corridor to neighboring nations to allow for our citizens’ safe passage and evacuation through the various land borders if the airports are not secure as suggested by the government?

To avoid being killed, he did, however, advise the government to use all reasonable efforts to evacuate Nigerians living in Sudan.

“We also recommend that the government negotiate a deal with the international community to establish a safe haven for all foreign nationals in the nation, acting as a safeguard against the war’s whims while a peace effort is made or alternative, safer evacuation methods are developed.

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“We are worried that while our government uses its customary excuses and laziness, the lives of our citizens in Sudan, who are already in danger, could suffer losses or harm. We kindly request that the federal government, through the relevant Ministries and Agencies, take immediate action to prevent our citizens from dying or getting hurt there.

“While we wait for prompt and effective action to be taken in order to evacuate our citizens, we would like measures to be put in place to make their lives as comfortable as possible once they arrive, especially for those who own businesses in Sudan and have experienced business losses as a result. Putting in place suitable platforms to meet their needs here before bringing them home would be pointless, he said.