German parliament approves military evacuation operation in Sudan

The German parliament, the Bundestag, has overwhelmingly approved Germany’s evacuation operation in Sudan, with 663 votes in favor and none against. A handful of lawmakers abstained. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that due to the urgency of the situation, the operation had to begin without parliamentary approval. The Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, has successfully flown out 700 people, including 200 German nationals, from Sudan in recent days with around 1,000 soldiers involved. German lawmakers have authorized the evacuation to continue until May 31, but for now, evacuation flights have ceased. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock praised the operation’s speedy execution. Numerous countries, including the United States, Canada, and Britain, have also evacuated their citizens as the conflict persists between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Meanwhile, residents in the western Sudanese region of Darfur fear a resurgence of conflict two decades after the devastating war that displaced millions.