Mechanical Issue in Canadian Plane Delays Sudan Airlift, as Turkish Plane Shot At

Defence Minister Anita Anand arrives at a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill, April 25, 2023 in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

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 would explain more in a technical briefing Friday afternoon.

She said another problem that emerged is an oil patch on a runway used for evacuations in Sudan.

“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.

“We are planning to ensure that flights are able to leave as soon as possible. We had planned for two flights to leave this morning, but the situation on the ground remains volatile.”

She said 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.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was briefed on the mechanical issue and reiterated that it has been resolved.

“We are looking to continue flights as quickly as possible alongside our allies,” he said at a news conference in New York City on Friday morning.

“It’s a real effort combined with many, many different countries to try and get citizens out of Sudan and that’s something that we will continue to be part of.”

Anand said two of Canada’s Hercules search-and-rescue planes have so far evacuated 117 people to safer countries, including 42 Canadians. She said a C-17 plane sits in Djibouti to help Canada with evacuations.

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

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

“We need to do whatever we can to ensure the safety and security of Canadians at the airport.”

Anand added that aside from military flights, Ottawa is still looking at various ways to help Canadians get out of the country.

“This is an evolving planning process. We are not waiting to plan contingencies. We are undertaking that planning as we speak, because of the volatility of the situation.”

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.