Philippine Envoys En Route To Assist Filipinos Leaving Sudan Figure In Road Accident

KEY POINTS

"They were rushing south and tried to swerve to avoid a marker but still hit it," the DFA said about the accident
The two diplomats did not suffer major injuries
Safe from any major injury, the two officials later continued their trip to facilitate the evacuation of over 300 Filipinos waiting at the Egypt-Sudan border

Two Philippine diplomats who were on their way to help Filipinos at the Sudan-Egypt border figured in a car accident on Tuesday.

Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago and Vice Consul Bojer Capati were rushing to the border when their vehicle lost control and crashed leading the car to roll over twice, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.

"In fact, in their rush to get to the border by car to help incoming Filipinos cross through, Ambassador Tago and Vice Consul Capati got [into] an accident where their car rolled over two times," Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told the Inquirer.

"They were rushing south and tried to swerve to avoid a marker but still hit it, 200 kilometers from Cairo at about midnight last night," he added.

Both diplomats did not suffer any major injury but Capati had to be examined at a hospital for back pains, de Vega said.

The two officials later continued their trip to facilitate the evacuation of over 300 Filipinos waiting at the Egypt-Sudan border. The evacuees will be taken to the Philippine Embassy in Cairo while awaiting their repatriation to the Philippines via commercial flights.

DFA Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza pointed out that the accident was not related to the violence that erupted in the Northeast African nation early this month due to the power struggle between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

She also said evacuation efforts are challenged by the meager number of available vehicles for rent coupled with increasing rental prices. Daza said they are doubling efforts to secure more buses for the evacuation procedures.

Filipinos remain safe in Sudan although one suffered a hand injury due to a stray bullet but was treated promptly, the DFA said adding that no Filipino was reported dead from the conflict.

As of Tuesday, the DFA tallied a total of 740 Filipinos in Sudan. They are either working as office workers, employees in an agricultural setting, students, or household service workers.

Out of this number, 350 have requested to be evacuated and the first batch of 50 evacuees left Sudan on Monday night to Cairo, Egypt.