A senior government official said Canada carried out its first evacuation of its citizens from Sudan today, Thursday, and airlifted more than 100 people, including Canadians and other nationalities, in two flights from war-torn Sudan.
 

About 180 Canadians were evacuated from the area earlier with the help of other countries while the federal government is working to carry out its own operations to evacuate civilians.

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said - at a press conference in Enfield, Nova Scotia - "I can confirm that the first Canadian evacuation flight from Sudan was carried out using a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft."

Officials said the first flight carried 45 Canadians in addition to citizens from allied countries, while the second flight a few hours later carried 73 people on board.

The evacuation was carried out without incident, and the Canadian Armed Forces plan future evacuation operations in the coming days. Those evacuated were transferred to a third location before they could return to their home country.

Countries around the world are rushing to extract diplomats and foreign nationals from Sudan after fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has killed hundreds, destroyed hospitals, and turned residential neighborhoods into war zones.

There are about 1800 Canadians in Sudan, at least 700 of whom have requested assistance from their government.

Anand explained that most Canadians are in the Sudanese capital and that efforts to evacuate them by land or sea "significantly increase the time during which they may be exposed to danger."

Most of the fighting is concentrated in Khartoum, where the Rapid Support Forces are spread out in residential areas.

Anand continued, "At the moment we are speaking, plans are underway to ensure that the largest possible number of Canadians can be evacuated as quickly as possible."

The Canadian Ministry of Defense had said on Wednesday that it sent about 200 soldiers and two C-130 Hercules aircraft to coordinate evacuation operations from Sudan.