By Canadian Press

Group calls on Canada to create sponsor program for family fleeing war-torn Sudan

Apr 22, 2023 | 1:37 PM

The head of a Sudanese community organization says his group is calling on the federal government to create a program for community members seeking to sponsor family who are either stuck in Sudan or have fled to nearby bordering countries.

Ashraf alTahir, president of the Sudanese Canadian Communities Association, says the umbrella organization of groups based across the country has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.

He says the diaspora are prepared to pay any associated costs, but need the government to put a program in place.

AlTahir says he fears the situation in Sudan could turn into another genocide like the one in Rwanda and says western governments must not abandon the people of that country.

Late Friday, the federal government said it deployed members of its Global Affairs Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti due to the volatile and rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan.

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Joly said Canada’s embassy in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum, has temporarily suspended in-person operations, but the team can provide emergency response, co-ordination, consular assistance and logistical support.

The federal government says the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are also planning for contingencies but gave no further details. 

Joly said earlier this week that Canada had no means of evacuating citizens from Sudan, where violence has drastically escalated between the country’s army and its rival paramilitary force.

Global Affairs Canada says there are 1,596 Canadians known to be in Sudan, but the number is only an estimate as registration is voluntary. AlTahir says his organization is also gathering data of community members stuck in the country to help with any evacuation efforts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press