On Monday afternoon, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said Egypt had agreed to open its border after the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari. She said the Nigerian president reached out to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, his Egyptian counterpart, before arriving at the solution. However, Egypt agreed to open the border under stringent conditions.
"The border has just been opened, ( with stringent conditions ) after President Buhari's intervention with the Egyptian President. So, the processing of evacuees by the Nigerian Embassy in Egypt will begin," Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement.
The decision by Egypt to allow free passage for Nigerians comes as a relief to many who have been stranded at the border for several weeks. Reports indicate that some Nigerians have been robbed and harassed by security operatives at the border while others have been forced to sleep outside in the cold.
Nigerians in Sudan have been caught up in the conflict that has been raging in the country since December 2018. The conflict has led to the displacement of thousands of people, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The Nigerian government has been working to evacuate its citizens from the country and bring them back home. However, the closure of Sudanese airspace has made it difficult to airlift Nigerians out of the country.
Nigerians who have been stranded at the border are expected to be processed by the Nigerian Embassy in Egypt before they can continue their journey back home. The situation has raised questions about the need for better planning and coordination by the Nigerian government to ensure the safe evacuation of its citizens from conflict zones.