Thread by @minlayla77

Here is a🧵 for those considering evacuating from Port Sudan. It’s a long journey but possibly the most affordable and best option for our ppl with visa restrictions i.e. men under 50 and non-Sudani African and Arab citizens. I am really tired so pls forgive typos. (1/10+) 🧵

We left a rural village in sharg el nil early in the morning on 4/23. We had no phone credit or network so we just went with whatever we could find. First stop was Kubri Soba (south of the city) took a hafla (mini bus) for 5000 sdg each. As we drove through Khartoum to (2/10)

Bahri, we were stopped by twice. The 2nd time in Kafoury RSF soldier talked to us for a while, asked a brother why he had decided to leave them. Brother was calm but shaking. He then came to where I was sitting with Layla started asking questions with his hand on his gun. (3/10)

He let us go. Some mins later we arrive at Shendi bus stop around 10 am. The last bus to Atbara was abt to leave standing room only left. Not an option with an almost 90 year old father. 3 ppl ended up not showing up and the bus turned back for us 30k Sdg per ticket. (4/10).

We were stopped by RSF again as we exited Khartoum, right before Shendi they pulled all the men off the bus, searched them, their IDs +phones. As they were wrapping up the search they got word that there were fighter Jets ahead. They took off. (5/10)

The bus driver sped off towards the jets as we lowered our heads. We made it to Shendi safely 🙏🏾 which had experienced violence the day b4. After Shendi we happened to trail a UN convoy of mostly NGO evacuees who were being escorted by the SAF after a “handoff” by the RSF. (6/10)

We arrived in Atbara evening and spent the night. Atbara felt safe. There is a serious shortage of petrol (price is 5x). Next morning at 7 we tried to get a mini bus to Port Sudan. Finally found 1 at 9 am for 25k sdg each. Some passengers didn’t have enough cash for tixs (7/10)

One of them gave the driver her gold ring as collateral for 7 relatives as her brother was rushing to gather the cash to hand to someone in Port Sudan to cover their tickets. It worked. We arrived at 4 pm and got dropped off at the airport crossroad. (8/10)

There are no commercial airplanes flying out of Port Sudan airport only country specific evacuations (Korean and Japanese had just taken place). We caught a ride to Port Sudan which is 25 km away. Our ride dropped us off at the Nadi Al Mawani, where the Saudi consul was…(9/10).

apparently giving out visas to Saudi Arabia on a case by case basis. There were hundreds already there. We were processed by nationality. My daughter received her visa long b4 me and long b4 my parents (Sudanese citizens). We got there at 7 pm received our visas by 4 am (10/11).

While it seems like some ppl might not get visas, in the end it seems everyone did, it just took a long time and there are not many food places around + nearby shop closes around 11 pm. But it’s a community center with chairs and a playground (11/17)

Please make sure you verify that they gave you an entry stamp when you get your passport back. They drove us to the ship ~ 4 am by bus. We left around 7 am and arrived at 8 or 9 am the next day. They fed us twice, but bring food if you can. You can sleep on the carpeted floor.

When we arrived my parents still had to get visas which took a while…they then drove us in buses to a hotel and fed us. We are about to crash in the free room they have offered us. Hope this helps someone. (12/15)