By Canadian Press

Mechanical issue in Canadian plane delays Sudan airlift, as Turkish plane shot at

Apr 28, 2023 | 8:24 AM

OTTAWA — Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canadian evacuation flights in Sudan have been hampered by a mechanical issue in one military plane that has since been resolved.

Anand won’t specify what the mechanical issue is, saying her officials will explain to reporters this afternoon. 

But she says another problem that emerged is an oil patch on a runway used for evacuations in Sudan.

She says roughly 250 Canadians have been evacuated out of the East African country, which has faced a shocking uptick in violence over the last two weeks between the country’s military and paramilitary forces.

Anand notes that Turkey reported one of its military evacuation planes was shot at, which she says illustrates the danger in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum.

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She says two of Canada’s Hercules search-and-rescue planes have so far evacuated 117 people, including 42 Canadians, while a C-17 plane sits in Djibouti to help bring people from that country to Canada.

“The situation is very dangerous and very volatile on the ground. This situation is evolving rapidly. I am receiving updates on the hour,” Anand told reporters in Dartmouth, N.S.

“The terrain at the airport is very rough. And it requires a continual assessment by our officials together with our allies,” she said.

The Turkish news site Daily Sabah reported that the country’s defence ministry says a C-130 flight was shot at with small arms. The ministry reportedly accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of shooting at the plane, which the group denied.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press