[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The First Rescue Operation 'Promise' Involving Land, Sea, and Air Forces

On the 25th, 28 Korean nationals who evacuated and withdrew from Sudan in North Africa, where numerous casualties occurred due to recent armed clashes between warlords, safely set foot on Korean soil. This is the first successful case of deploying army, navy, and air force forces in an overseas operation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to government officials, the Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft KC-330 carrying the Korean nationals landed on the runway of Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at around 3:57 p.m. that day.

The operation to rescue the nationals began on the 21st. The clashes between the Sudanese government forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebel group, which started in Khartoum on the 15th, spread throughout Sudan, causing numerous casualties and ongoing dangerous situations. In response, the Korean government decided to dispatch military transport aircraft for the safety of its nationals. The evacuation operation mobilized elite units from the army, navy, and air force, including the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707 Counterterrorism Special Mission Unit, Air Force Combat Control Team (CCT), and the Cheonghae Unit’s Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer (DDH-II, 4,400 tons). The operation was named ‘Promise,’ symbolizing the government’s promise to protect overseas nationals and commitments to allied countries.

A government official stated, “Efforts by our officers dispatched to Djibouti and the African Command to gather information on the ground in Sudan were necessary, and cooperation with U.S. intelligence agencies was also achieved.” He added, “To fly the transport aircraft to Sudan, cooperation from 16 countries whose airspace had to be crossed was required. Normally, this process takes about two weeks, but all cooperation was completed within just one day.”

First Case of Overseas National Rescue Operation Involving Army, Navy, and Air Force ForcesAir Transport Operation Virtually Impossible, Over 30 Hours of Overland TravelReceived UAE Security Escort but Delays Due to Vehicle Breakdown

The Korean nationals gathered at the Korean embassy in Khartoum on the 15th. Although their safety was immediately secured, there was no suitable means of escape. The U.S. base where the C-130J transport aircraft and KC-330 aerial refueling transport aircraft Cygnus were stationed was about 1,200 km in a straight line from Khartoum, making air transport operations virtually impossible. Moreover, Khartoum’s airport was closed due to clashes between the two major warlords.

The evacuation route was ultimately decided to be overland. The 28 nationals boarded a large bus at the Korean embassy. Although overland travel was expected to be risky due to the highly unstable local situation, reference was made to Saudi Arabian and Jordanian refugees and UN staff who had traveled overland to Port Sudan. On the morning of the 23rd, they headed by vehicle to Port Sudan, a northeastern Sudanese port city about 840 km away in a straight line. The vehicle journey reportedly took over 30 hours.

At Port Sudan, the nationals boarded a waiting Korean Air Force C-130J transport aircraft and arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, across the Red Sea. Then, at around 2:54 a.m. Korean time on the same day, they took the Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft KC-330 to Seoul Airport. Among the 29 Koreans in Sudan, one person who had acquired local nationality expressed the intention to remain with the Korean embassy and did not accompany the return journey.

Additionally, the government reportedly chose to move together with nationals from allied and neighboring countries to maximize safety. Besides the large bus carrying the Korean nationals, five other buses followed, carrying multinational foreigners from Asia and other regions.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) not only provided the large buses but also took on security duties. Since violent clashes continued between the Sudanese government forces and paramilitary groups in North Africa’s Sudan, deploying the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707 Counterterrorism Special Mission Unit could have risked involvement in the civil war. The UAE expressed willingness to support the Korean nationals’ overland movement, which the Korean government accepted. During the overland journey, the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the UAE embassy reportedly escorted the 45-seat bus carrying the nationals. The UAE also mediated negotiations with both Sudanese government and rebel forces to guarantee the safety of third-country nationals’ evacuation.

The large bus arrived in Port Sudan at around 9:40 p.m. on the 24th (Korean time). Initially, the plan was to use a route of about 820 km taking 13 to 15 hours by car to reach Port Sudan, but for safety reasons, the route was changed to a longer one, resulting in about 33 hours of travel. During the overland journey, there were many urgent moments, such as taking breaks or changing routes in preparation for any emergencies. According to government officials, the escort vehicle’s tires were punctured several times, causing delays.

The nationals departed from Port Sudan to Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia by C-130J transport aircraft at around 10:30 p.m., about an hour after arrival. Upon arrival at Jeddah Airport, the nationals boarded the Air Force transport aircraft KC-330 ‘Cygnus’ for their return journey and safely arrived at Seoul Airport on the 25th.

After the welcome ceremony held at Seoul Airport that day, the nationals are scheduled to receive health checks and other measures from relevant government departments before moving to accommodations to rest.