Sudan: The decision to evacuate UK embassy staff came at just the right time

The decision of whether or not to keep embassy staff in a country at war is a finely balanced one for governments across the world.

When the invasion of Ukraine began, British embassy workers were immediately pulled out of Kyiv, while the UK Government waited to assess the scale of the conflict. However, within two months, ambassador Melinda Simmons was back in the Ukrainian capital and the embassy once more open for business.

Doing so was a signal to Russia of UK support for Ukraine, although some other countries, including Australia, have still not yet re-opened their diplomatic bases in Ukraine. The British Embassy building in Russia, meanwhile, remains closed, with staff working remotely for any British citizens still remaining in the country.

On Saturday night, embassy workers and their families, including a number of children, were evacuated from Sudan, where fighting broke out last week between the nation's regular army and paramilitary force the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hundreds of people have been killed, while Sudan’s main airport has been shut for some days, making evacuation difficult.

People carry on their shoulders Othman Mohamed, a senior general loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, last week. British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from the country.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the evacuation had been a "complex and rapid" operation – and that diplomatic staff would be working temporarily in a nearby country, where they would be better placed to provide assistance to those in Sudan.

The UK Government had been criticised for being slow to remove staff from the country as other countries were already making moves to do so – however, it appears that work was being done behind the scenes. US diplomats were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning, while several other countries including France, the Netherlands and Italy have also begun removing citizens.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said on Sunday there were "specific threats and violence directed towards diplomats" that led to the evacuation. Other countries’ government workers have faced problems in getting their staff out of Sudan. A Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan was reportedly attacked, while Egypt said a member of its mission in Sudan had been wounded by a gunshot.

Embassies are essential for international diplomacy, but it is also imperative to protect diplomatic staff and their families – until a situation can be assessed.