Canada working to airlift citizens out of Sudan, may deploy troops to Africa

Behind-the-scenes preparations are underway for a direct Canadian military airlift of civilians trapped in Sudan as the eastern African country's warring sides struggled to abide by a three-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

On his way into a federal cabinet meeting Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there are Canadian aircraft and warships in the region and planning is underway to contribute to the international evacuation effort, which Canada's allies already have begun.

"We have assets in the region," Trudeau said.  "We're looking at doing direct airlifts, lifts of Canadians and their dependents."

He said the government is still trying to determine which countries in the region would accept evacuation flights.

"There's very limited places where those airlifts can happen from," he said.

Trudeau also noted that a Canadian frigate and a supply ship are transiting through the nearby Red Sea and could link up with allies — notably the U.S. Fifth Fleet and the Royal Navy, which have started assembling off the Port of Sudan for a possible seaborne evacuation.

WATCH | Trudeau gives update on situation in Sudan

A defence source said consideration is being given to the deployment of a small contingent of Canadian troops to Djibouti to assist and help manage evacuees.

A spokesperson for Defence Minister Anita Anand refused to comment on the information. Before a Senate committee on Monday and before cabinet on Tuesday, Anand said a number of options are being considered.

Anand said it's up to individual Canadians trapped on the ground to decide whether to stay or flee to the airport.

"What we are trying to do, as a government, is to assist anyone and everyone who has requested assistance and that's what we've been able to accomplish," she said.

Hisham Mohammed, a Canadian of Sudanese origin who was trapped in Khartoum for days while the fighting raged on, told CBC News Network on Monday that the only advice he received from Global Affairs Canada was to shelter in place.

Over a three-day period before fleeing to Egypt, he called the foreign ministry helpline and told them conditions were getting dangerous.

"I had to decide what I'm going to do because, you know, we were running out of water, food ... no power," he said, adding he was grateful to make it all the way to Cairo overland.