‘Bullets on our doorstep’ – South Africans trapped in Sudan describe ‘unreal, surreal time’ as they wait for rescue

Human resources specialist Birgitte Davy originally from Cape Town, “keeping away from windows”.Photo:Supplied

By Peter Fabricius

20 Apr 2023

Desperate expats are hunkered down in their homes, keeping clear of windows, cowering under mattresses to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of a bloody battle between two rival generals which is entering its sixth day. And it’s far too dangerous for an evacuation.

South Africans are desperate to be evacuated from Sudan but the chances of rescue are slim for now since any route out is so dangerous.

About 50 South Africans, possibly more, are trapped in the country, mostly in Khartoum, as an unprecedented full-scale war rages in the streets of the capital, with aircraft bombing and strafing enemy targets alongside residential areas and artillery blasting buildings even in the city centre.

The South African government said on Wednesday that its embassy in Khartoum was closely monitoring the trapped South Africans and was “exploring options to assist” them. “The South African government urges all South Africans in Sudan to remain indoors and await further updates and guidance.”

For now though neither South Africa nor any other country, apparently, can extract its nationals as the Khartoum airport runways have been cratered by shells, its fuel tanks have been blasted and it’s unsafe anyway to venture onto roads patrolled by trigger-happy soldiers of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel-Fatah al-Burhan or their enemies, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Burhan’s bitter rival, General Hamdan Dagolo, better known as Hemedti.

They don’t seem to be killing expats as yet. But they are rough-housing people, taking their money, valuables, phones, etc. And there have been one or two instances of sexual violence.

The embassy is nevertheless considering possible pick-up locations for evacuating the South Africans if there is a gap in the fighting. This should be a military exercise, some of the South Africans say. They also say some other stranded nationals are starting to take to the roads.

Degrees of peril

“Unfortunately as expats, whether you’re black or white, you’ll stand out because you don’t look Sudanese,” says South African Ilse Young. “And since they are targeting embassy and UN staff at the moment, you will stand out like a sore thumb if you try to take to the road.”

Ilse and Adam Young and their twins Isabella and Duncan in Khartoum, before the turmoil. Photo: Supplied

Young, originally from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), and her husband Adam are trying to coordinate the South Africans trapped in their homes owing to the fighting and to liaise with the South African embassy in case a ceasefire is reached, providing an opportunity for escape.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Confusion in Sudan as fighters seem undeterred by *ceasefire

“On our WhatsApp group we’ve got 39 participants, most in Khartoum,” she told Daily Maverick. This included just one person from the embassy so, adding other embassy staff, she estimated about 45 South Africans looking for rescue so far. “But the group is growing.”

The South Africans are trapped in various degrees of peril. Young said one person was looking for new accommodation after being forced to evacuate their building on the main road close to the airport.

“What’s happening is that the RSF is taking over buildings. They don’t seem to be killing expats as yet. But they are rough-housing people, taking their money, valuables, phones, etc. And there have been one or two instances of sexual violence.

“So it’s pretty atrocious for those people. We check in on people. And when you chat to them on the phone, because for now our internet is holding, you hear the bombing in the background, people are lying with mattresses on their heads, to try to cover in case they are shelled.”

Young said the South African embassy staff mostly also lived in the area of the airport and the presidential palace where the fighting has been fiercest. Most of the other embassies are also in that area and so the RSF had also ransacked the residences of the Japanese and Italian ambassadors. An ambassador’s house has also been attacked.

By contrast, she said: “We’re very privileged. We lead – or we led, I suppose – a very privileged life, which was very good for us. We have a freestanding house which is relatively secure.”

They don’t care about their citizens, by all accounts. Judging by the bombing and so on.

That house where she, her husband Adam, their three-old twins Isabella and Duncan and two Scottish terriers live is in the suburbs, about 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre.

The job of coordinating the South Africans fell naturally to the Youngs because they have lived in Khartoum since 2008 when Ilse arrived from Gqeberha to teach at an international school. She met Adam – also from Gqeberha, as it happened – in Khartoum. He is managing one of the food divisions of a large Sudanese conglomerate. After 15 years in the country they have good contacts with other embassies and international agencies and receive a lot of the security advisories.

“So we are able to advise and assist as much as possible while also trying to keep the family safe, fed and healthy and all the rest.”

Read more in Daily Maverick: Sudan army battles rebel assault on HQ, fighting thwarts evacuations

Being further from the epicentre of the warfare, the Youngs still had electricity and water when Daily Maverick spoke to them on Wednesday. Their freezer was well stocked. Others are not so lucky and are fast running out of food, water and other essentials. One South African was due to leave on Thursday so his sim card was about to expire, making him uncontactable.

Khartoum has been the scene of heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces. (Photo: EPA-EFE / STR)

Birgitte Davy, originally from Cape Town, lives closer to the fighting, in an apartment block also occupied by other South Africans and UN staff in the south of Khartoum. She has been living in Sudan for four years, working as a specialist human resources manager.

Human resources specialist Birgitte Davy originally from Cape Town, “keeping away from windows”. Photo: Supplied

“I’m staying indoors away from windows and just doing what we can to get through this,” she told Daily Maverick. She said there were pockets of fighting all over the city. “The closest incidents were about 150m to 200m away. Some stray bullets have landed on our doorstep and a stray bullet shattered one of the cars of a resident here.

Read more in Daily Maverick:

War, again: Ferocious play for power in Sudan spiralling out of control

Three aid workers killed as bloody power struggle erupts in Sudan

“It’s an unreal, surreal time that we are in right now,” says Young, adding that no one was expecting the outbreak of violence on Saturday. “We just can’t explain. My husband was on the golf course on Saturday morning. I put the kids in the car at nine in the morning. And we were going to have a coffee and they were going to play in the play area. And then they told us to go home. So people don’t have supplies, even food-wise, so that’s becoming a very real issue now. Even if you can supply shelter to other people, your supplies might be limited.”

‘Kindest people’

Davy says: “The Sudanese people do not deserve this. They have suffered decades of economic and political instability.” She urged the international community to put pressure on the two generals to stop the killing.

Young agrees: “The biggest thing to remember about Sudan is that the Sudanese are the kindest people and sweetest people that I’ve ever met. My father passed away a few years ago and the Sudanese people would come up to you and hold your hands and say ‘I’ll pray for you’. And two or three years later, they would ask ‘how’s your mom doing?

“Really, they are not the richest people in the world but they would give the shirt off their back to you.

“As in all countries where your different sections have to be coordinated into your government, it was probably never a good idea to try to incorporate the paramilitary group into the army,” she says, referring to the December 2022 agreement to absorb Hemedti’s RSF into the regular army led by Burhan. That seemed to spark the shooting because Hemedti did not want to lose control.

“Basically both of these guys want to be in charge,” says Young. “So it’s not as if anyone here is hoping for one of the two to come out victor, to be honest. It’s unprecedented for this to happen in Khartoum. We’ve never had the looting, even at the height of the revolution where the Sudanese people went to the streets and did sit-ins and that.” That refers to the popular uprising cum military coup which toppled longtime leader President Omar al-Bashir.

“People would break fast together and share meals and draw art on the walls. It was just nothing like this. It’s true it’s just two armies or sections of the army fighting each other. So people are getting caught in the crossfire. They don’t care about their citizens, by all accounts. Judging by the bombing and so on.

“So we’re trying to cope on a daily basis, hearing bombings, seeing MIGs flying overhead. And then hearing anti-aircraft fire. Or gunfire. And then wondering where it’s coming from.” They occasionally go upstairs and quickly peek through the closed shutters to check where the gunfire is coming from.

‘Trigger happy’

Adam had managed to dart out of the house during Iftar prayers one evening to the corner shop two blocks away to buy a tray of eggs, a jar of peanut butter, the last two cartons of long-life milk and a six-pack of water.

“So we’re lucky. Our supplies are quite good. But some others are not, especially as it is nearing month end so people would have been getting their Eid bonuses. And where people have no electricity their fresh food would be off by now.” And generator diesel is running out

“It’s not advised to leave homes at all. There are reports of people being stopped and their cars taken. And all their valuables. They will shoot warning shots. The trouble is they are so trigger happy at this time, the RSF guys. They are militias trained for bush warfare, not fighting in the city, so anything goes for those guys. Some buses are leaving town but it’s not an option for expats. Because where would you go? And you would stick out like a sore thumb.”

Young reluctantly acknowledges that their good life in Sudan is probably drawing to a close. They have lived through major turmoil in the country but this is different. When they get out of the country, they probably won’t go back. “Sadly it seems that life here has changed irrevocably. The twins are due to start ‘big school’ in August but that now is not viable. They will not get to see their little group of friends again either as embassies will, if they still have a presence here, become a non-family posting.

“We are all wondering where to from here.” DM

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Africa

Degrees of peril

‘Kindest people’

‘Trigger happy’