Cypriot family in Sudan in touch with foreign ministry

The foreign ministry on Wednesday said it was in touch with the 10 individuals of Cypriot origin living in Sudan.

“All of them are at their homes safely. There is a line of communication with them, through the embassy of Cyprus in Egypt and the honorary consul in Sudan,” foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis told CNA.

Asked if there was a question of removing them from their current location, Gotsis said there was not, though “there is coordination on a European level on what will happen when conditions allow.”

The ten individuals are part of the same family, living in Khartoum.

The spokesman explained there is an EU mechanism both for crisis management and for coordinating the consular response, as well as an EU delegation on the ground.

“Our embassy in Cairo is in contact with them, there are teleconferences, there is a hotline between member states and those who have missions on the ground and those who do not,” he said.

Gotsis added the failure to reach a ceasefire is causing frustration among members of the international community and that “Cyprus supports the efforts of both the EU and other partners not only to reach an agreement but also to implement a ceasefire. Let it be 24 hours in principle and we hope for something more lasting.”