Around eleven o’clock this Sunday night, Minister of Foreign Affairs I got a call from the Spanish ambassador to Sudan. The officer said, “We are all at the base. Everything went very well. There are 70 people. There were many military checks, but everything went without incident.” head of diplomatic mission Isidro Gonzalez with José Manuel Albares.
After days of maximum tension, he breathed a sigh of relief. Spain has managed to complete the complex task of evacuating dozens of Spaniards from Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, which has experienced a fierce conflict between military groups that has killed at least 400 civilians.
According to diplomatic sources, there were moments of great tension in the foreign crisis cell set up at the Palacio de Viana in Madrid, especially when it was learned that one of the groups evacuated by France had been shot. Everything can go wrong. It went right. HE King Felipe VI personally congratulated the ambassador on his arrival in Madrid.
72 evacuated civilians arrived at Torrejón military airport in Madrid this morning. One of them was probably wounded in the military clashes that have raged the country for weeks. 34 of them are Spanish; the rest of the other 11 nationalities (Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Portugal, Poland…).
Press access was not allowed. Official sources say that up to about 80 Spaniards (the exact figure is unknown) either left on their own feet or on other missions, or decided to stay voluntarily.
powerful military device
Operation of the Spanish Armed Forces, four planes Air forces and from SpaceOperating between Djibouti and Spain to transport all supplies and military personnel involved in the operation. they got involved about 200 soldiers from the Army and Air Forces. In Djibouti (the border state with Ethiopia and close to Sudan) was the staff of the Orion Detachment, which became an advanced base for the deployment of the operation.
The device deployed for “snooping” (a military term for evacuation from conflict zones) is not very common. Something like this was last seen during the evacuation of Kabul (Afghanistan) in 2021.
The evacuees reached Spain An A330 aircraft from the Air and Space Army’s 15th Group. Two of these were purchased in the last two years and adapted for military use. “These are multipurpose aircraft: they are used to resupply military aircraft in flight and, of course, to evacuate people,” defense sources said.
Grouping civilians at the Spanish embassy
Device forwarded from: two different crisis cells, one from the State Department and one from the Department of Defense. According to diplomatic sources, video calls were made between the two departments of José Manuel Albares and Margarita Robles.
First, it was necessary to ensure that all civilians wishing to leave could reach the embassy, where they were grouped together. There was 48 hours of maximum tension, as this newspaper announced last Friday, Defense planes began flying to Djibouti, a country neighboring Sudan, where the operation will begin.
At the weekend, those who wanted to go were guaranteed to go to the Spanish delegation. time came flight “slot” obtained, the entourage left the Spanish diplomatic headquarters at full speed. If they had left later, perhaps someone else could have been saved, the government consulted agreed with the resources, but the operation would have been compromised. A small military airfield near the city was used for the evacuation. Khartoum International Airport was disabled due to fighting.
“Multi-tasking” refueling aircraft
The Airbus A330 aircraft is a commercial passenger aircraft widely used around the world, but has also been modified for use in military environments. It is known as the military version of the A330. Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) It is used for tasks such as cargo and troop transport, in-flight refueling, and medical evacuation.
In its military version, the A330 MRTT can be configured to conduct medical evacuation operations. Carrying capacity of up to 40 stretchers and a full medical team. It can also carry up to 111 tons of fuel, allowing it to refuel other military aircraft in flight, increasing its range and flight time. It also has ample cargo capacity that allows it to carry a variety of military equipment and vehicles.
The A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport is a large and capable aircraft in its military version. its wingspan It is 60.3 meters and its length is 58.8 meters.. With a maximum take-off weight of 233 tons and a maximum speed of 870 km/h, the aircraft can reach anywhere in the world without stopping with a range of up to 13,400 kilometers and can carry up to 267 passengers in its army. or a combination of passenger and cargo.
Equipped with aircraft four Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and the maximum service altitude is 42,700 feet. Its advanced avionics system includes flight display screens, navigation and communication systems, as well as a wide variety of security and defense equipment.
A330 became MRTT It is used by the air forces of countries such as France, Spain and Saudi Arabia. supporting military missions and humanitarian operations around the world.
Currently the Spanish army has two units and is the largest aircraft in our armed forces. In November 2021, the 45th Group of the Air Force received the first unit and they are located in Torrejón de Ardoz. The second arrived on May 22, and a third aircraft, already being converted for military use, is expected to be delivered this year. All three will have a refueling system and a medical evacuation package, which includes a stretcher and oxygen equipment, as well as an intensive care unit at the center of the device.
Spain has invested 675 million in this program that includes recycling units from Iberia for military use.
Commands the United States Navy Seals
The United States began evacuating thousands of its citizens from the country on Saturday. The giant operation included: An elite team of Navy SEALs. The UK also successfully completed the evacuation of its embassy in Khartoum “in a joint operation with the US, France and other allies”.
some have been leaked out From the Port of Sudan, on the Black Sea, 326 kilometers from the capital. According to The New York Times, a ship full of Western diplomats sailed from the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia. Others, like French and British diplomats, are from the same airport on the outskirts of the city, where military cargo planes await. People were also evacuated from Qadarif, a small town close to the Ethiopian border.
Thus, the country was left with almost no foreign representation in the midst of the worst wave of violence in recent years. Sudan has been a failed democracy project since the popular and military uprising in 2019. dictator ousted Omar al-Bashir. A coup in 2021 began to derail a unique Transition process in the region with a strong pro-democracy elite presence.
About ten days ago, fierce clashes broke out between the Sudanese Army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who held political power in the country, and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan. A struggle for power that left more than 400 civilians dead.