NHK has learned that four Japanese nationals and one of their family members evacuated from Sudan to nearby Djibouti on Thursday, local time. Tokyo is now arranging for Japanese evacuees and their family members to come to Japan if they wish.

Sources said the five sought evacuation after dozens of Japanese citizens fled the African country earlier this week. The Japanese government confirmed on Wednesday, Japan time, that no more of its nationals in Sudan wanted to flee.

The sources said the five left on a Canadian military air transport from a Sudanese air force base, more than 30 kilometers north of the capital Khartoum. They added that the aircraft arrived at an airport in Djibouti.

Countries have scrambled to evacuate their nationals from Sudan after fighting erupted between the country's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces earlier this month.

Currently, the total number of Japanese evacuees and their evacuated family members stands at 65.

The Foreign Ministry is coordinating transport for them from Djibouti to Japan on a private-sector chartered plane. The aircraft could depart from Djibouti on Friday, local time, and touch down at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Saturday morning, Japan time.

The ministry is now confirming whether the evacuees want to depart for Japan, and it is also taking measures to allow their accompanying non-Japanese family members to enter Japan.

Most of them fled to nearby Djibouti or Ethiopia on a Japanese Self-Defense Force transport plane or with the support of France, Canada and the International Committee of the Red Cross.