Bases commander pays tribute to those who helped evacuate Sudan

The commander of the British Forces in Cyprus and Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) administrator Peter Squires on Friday paid tribute to all those involved in the successful evacuation of people from war-torn Sudan via the island.

“As the UK’s operation to bring people to safety from Sudan draws down, I want to thank everyone involved, including military and civilian personnel, the families that support them, and of course our friends and partners in the Republic of Cyprus, for what has been an incredibly busy period for so many of us,” he said shortly after the final flight landed in Larnaca on Thursday.

Since the conflict began on April 15, more than 2,400 people from the UK and over 20 other nations including Cyprus, have been evacuated to safety.

“We supported Cyprus and the British High Commission in the delivery of the Estia plan, setting up the Larnaca airport to receive evacuees from multiple nations, supporting their welfare and onward movement,” Squires said.

“It has been a monumental effort involving every part of our organisation to some degree. The operation has epitomised collaborative working among different branches, units, services, departments and nations.”

During the operation, British Forces in Cyprus supported over 1,500 additional military personnel, providing everything from accommodation and food to military equipment.

RAF Akrotiri also facilitated over 165 additional flights and received the first diplomatic evacuees.