Photo/Illutration People walk past shuttered shops in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on April 18. The Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force are fighting for control of the country. (AP Photo)

The government is preparing to dispatch a Self-Defense Forces aircraft to Sudan to evacuate Japanese nationals as fighting has escalated between rival factions in the northeastern African country.

The safety of about 60 Japanese nationals there has been confirmed, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on April 19.

“We will provide any support required to secure the safety of Japanese nationals there,” he told a news conference.

Those staying in Sudan, including workers with nongovernmental organizations and the Japan International Cooperation Agency as well as officials at the Japanese Embassy, are facing water and food shortages along with frequent power outages, Matsuno said.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi asked Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada to prepare for an SDF aircraft to transport Japanese nationals out of Sudan at 1:05 p.m. on the day. The Defense Ministry has already started preparations.

The government also set up a team on April 19 headed by the deputy chief Cabinet secretary for crisis management at the prime minister’s office to coordinate efforts among government ministries and agencies.

The Foreign Ministry also created its own team headed by Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori.

Fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a rival paramilitary group, in Sudan on April 15.

At least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 have been injured, according to a Reuters report on April 17 quoting United Nations special representative Volker Perthes.

In a statement released on April 16, Hayashi expressed his deep concern about the conflict and called on warring parties to immediately stop the violence.

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