A few days ago, a post describing "Sudanese armed conflict personnel helping Chinese compatriots repair tires" went viral on the Internet. The reporter recently interviewed Yue Yuanzhi, one of the witnesses of this incident, who described his emergency transfer in the capital Khartoum after the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in mid-April, and then with the help of the relevant departments of the motherland, he traveled from Khartoum to Port Sudan, and then crossed the Red Sea and returned to China through Saudi Arabia.
Yue Yuanzhi (second from right) poses with local friends in Sudan. Photo courtesy of interviewee
Rockets streaked through the rooftops of buildings, and the exterior walls of homes were full of bullet holes
Yue Yuanzhi, 39, from Zhengzhou, Henan Province, came to Sudan two years ago to work in mining and lived in Khartoum before he left.
On 15 April, armed clashes broke out in many parts of the Sudan. That morning, before Yue Yuanzhi got up, he heard gunshots outside the window, which was "very scary"; It didn't take long for him to see fighter planes flying over the roof of the residential building, "firing rockets with a whoosh, and a violent explosion in front" ...
Yue Yuanzhi's residence is close to the camp of one of the conflicting parties, the rapid support unit, about 1 km in a straight line, and the exchange of fire near the camp is fierce, and the outer wall of his house is full of gunholes.
This is a street scene photographed in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 18. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Mohammed Haider)
In desperation, Yue Yuanzhi braved a hail of bullets to move to a relatively safe friend's house. Along the way, he saw armed men cordoning off the streets, gunshots and explosions in his ears, and smoke billowing from buildings in the distance.
When transferring and clearing customs, Yue Yuanzhi revealed his Chinese identity, and the armed personnel in charge of the blockade immediately released him.
The five-star red flag makes the hearts of compatriots feel safe
"The night of fighting in Khartoum has made it difficult to sleep, with intermittent mobile phone and internet signals, and sometimes it is difficult to report the safety of family members." Yue Yuanzhi said that like timely rain, "everyone was very excited when the news that the Chinese Embassy in Sudan planned to organize the centralized evacuation of Chinese citizens came."
In the early morning of April 25, local time, the Chinese Embassy in Sudan informed Yue Yuanzhi to prepare for evacuation. "On the phone call at two o'clock in the morning, the embassy staff told me to assemble at the embassy in the morning and to evacuate, and I was overjoyed!"
A citizen holding a national flag and passport waits to enter the country at Beijing Capital International Airport on April 29. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Wang Chunhui)
Hanging up the phone, Yue Yuanzhi and his friends quickly filled the three cars with fuel, loaded some supplies, and arrived at the Chinese Embassy in Sudan at 5 a.m.
"Near the embassy are compatriots working in Sudan, and the staff wear body armor to maintain order." Yue Yuanzhi saw that many compatriots pasted the five-star red flag in conspicuous positions such as the front and side of the evacuation vehicles such as buses, and he and his friends also pasted the national flag on the front of the three vehicles.
Yue Yuanzhi and his entourage and other self-driving personnel withdrew to Port Sudan before the large army. They also carried several Chinese students on the way, and saw many tragic scenes along the way: bullet casings everywhere, destroyed vehicles, smoke-billowing buildings, refugee families escaping the city on foot...
Vehicle puncture Sudanese armed conflict personnel help repair cars
When Yue Yuanzhi and his friends were driving north of Khartoum, they were forced to stop when a car had a flat tire. "At the beginning, I knew that the tire was about to die, but there were constant gunshots nearby, and I couldn't find tire parts, so I had to bite the bullet, and then I really blew out the tire."
Soon after, several military patrol vehicles were parked nearby, armed with live ammunition. In a hurry, Yue Yuanzhi boldly stepped forward to ask the other party for help. "I went over to say hello to them and explained the situation briefly." Yue Yuanzhi said. Fortunately, the other party undertook it and helped to remove the damaged tire and pull it to repair.
The photo above is taken by Yue Yuanzhi driving from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Photo courtesy of interviewee
While waiting, military patrol vehicles continued to pass by and stop, and at one point six vehicles gathered nearby, blocking the road.
Finally, the other party pulled back the repaired tires and helped Yue Yuanzhi and his friends to load them, and they were able to move on. Along the way, they went through 6 checkpoints and were stopped again and again for interrogation.
Transit Port Sudan Crossing the Red Sea by warship of the motherland
When the evacuated Chinese compatriots arrived at the Port Sudan transit station in the evening, they were warmly received by the personnel of China Harbor. Yue Yuanzhi said: "We lived there for two days, they took care of our food and drink, gave us all the office space to sleep, and built a shed to sleep outside..."
On April 29, Chinese citizens evacuated from Sudan arrived at the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, aboard the Chinese Navy's Weishan Lake ship. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Haizhou
"When I arrived at the port area, I saw a huge warship standing, a five-star red flag fluttering in the wind, and the slogan 'Take everyone home' on the side of the ship. Almost all the compatriots present burst into tears at once, and the crowd kept chanting 'Long live the motherland' and 'Thank you for the motherland'. Hundreds of compatriots sang the national anthem in unison, and the scene echoed for a long time. Yue Yuanzhi said excitedly.
He told reporters, "During the warship's voyage in the Red Sea, officers and soldiers brought boxes of food one by one. Eating is also a priority for compatriots, and the fragrant boiled meat slices are the most fragrant meals I have eaten in the two years abroad. ”
After crossing the Red Sea by warship, Yue Yuanzhi and others arrived in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. On the evening of April 30, local time, Yue Yuanzhi and others took off from Jeddah by plane, transited through Singapore and flew safely to the motherland.
"Returning home safely from danger and turmoil made me feel more deeply the meaning of the phrase 'the motherland is the most solid, reliable and powerful backing for the people'. There is a kind of confidence, it is 'the motherland will take you home', there is a kind of security, it is 'flying five-star red flag'. (Reporters: Ma Yichong, Liu Zhenkun)
Source: Xinhua News Agency