US evacuates personnel from Sudan amid fighting

The U.S. military has evacuated embassy personnel and their families from Sudan, as fighting continues between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a late night statement confirming that the U.S. Embassy in the city of Khartoum was temporarily suspended and they had “safely evacuated all U.S. personnel and their dependents.”

“Suspending operations at one of our embassies is always a difficult decision, but the safety of our personnel is my first responsibility,” Blinken said. “The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel.”

“I applaud the skill and professionalism of our team on the ground, U.S. military forces, and others across the government who carried out this evacuation mission,” he added.

Blinken also noted that the State Department will continue to assist Americans in Sudan “in planning for their own safety and provide regular updates to U.S. citizens in the area.”

The operation, involving at least six aircraft, was completed early Sunday morning and was carried out in coordination with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), The Washington Post reported.

“I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America’s friendship and connection with the people of Sudan,” President Biden said in a statement Saturday night. 

“I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety,” he added. “And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation.”

The RSF said in a statement posted to Twitter that it coordinated with U.S. forces in the mission to evacuate the diplomats.

“The Rapid Support Forces has also supervised all the necessary arrangements that preceded the evacuation process, as well as affirm their full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries,” the group said.

The Sudanese army also said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals, according to the Post.

The Pentagon had prepared for an evacuation in recent days, after fighting broke out last weekend amid a struggle for power between al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. More than 400 people have been killed, including an American citizen.

Sunday’s evacuation comes amid a three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, although fighting appears to have largely continued in spite of the ceasefire.

The United Nations and others have urged the rivals to honor the declared ceasefires in order to open safe passage for fleeing civilians and let in a supply of badly needed aid, Reuters reported. Biden echoed that call on Saturday evening.

“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians.  It’s unconscionable and it must stop,” Biden wrote. “The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan.”

“Our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending,” he added.