CANBERRA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- An air force mission has successfully evacuated 36 Australians and their families from conflict-ravaged Sudan.
Penny Wong, the minister for Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday confirmed that the group was taken from Sudan to Cyprus in the early hours of the morning on board a plane from the Australian Defense Force (ADF).
"Unfortunately, we still have Australians on the ground, and we'll continue to engage through our consular team with the Australians who are on the ground, and I urge people to make sure they are registered," Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio.
"This brings to, I think 191 Australians that we've assisted or have been able to secure passage out of the country since the crisis began."
She said that the government was hopeful of launching further evacuation flights but nothing could be guaranteed amid a "worsening" security situation in the African country.
"The security situation in Sudan is very dangerous, and it is volatile, and as you know we have been doing all we can to assist Australians with the support of our partners, bearing in mind we don't have people on the ground in an embassy in Sudan," said Wong.
A growing number of countries have evacuated citizens from Sudan since fierce clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April. ■