Malaysians in Sudan are advised to take precautions - Zambry

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has advised Malaysians in Sudan to take precautions and not to go out for the time being due to the conflict in the country.

He said they can contact the Embassy of Malaysia in Sudan directly, adding that any information or further action will be communicated from time to time.

"Wisma Putra is closely monitoring developments in Sudan together with other government agencies including the National Security Council (MKN) and several other agencies to ensure the safety of every Malaysian in Sudan," he said.

So far 29 Malaysians in Sudan, who are mostly students, have been accounted for and confirmed safe, he said.

Zambry said an inter-agency meeting was held yesterday to obtain the latest information on the current situation in Sudan and to discuss proposals to ensure the safety of Malaysians during this conflict.

The coordination meeting, chaired by Foreign Ministry's deputy secretary-general for Bilateral Relations, Datuk Norman Muhamad also involved MKN, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Prime Minister's Department's Research Division, the National Disaster Management Agency, the Royal Malaysia Police and PETRONAS.

"A 24-hour operation room has also been launched at Wisma Putra to monitor the current situation in Sudan in addition to a WhatsApp group communication," he said.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces have sparked political unrest and threatened security in the country.

-- BERNAMA