US President Joe Biden said Saturday that the evacuation of US embassy staff in Sudan is complete, according to a statement released by the White House.
“I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy team, who carried out their duties with courage and professionalism and epitomized America’s friendship and bond with the people of Sudan,” Biden said in the statement.
“I am grateful for the unparalleled ability of our military that successfully brought them to safety.”
The officials were flown to an unidentified location in Ethiopia, two officials familiar with the operation told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Washington also closed the diplomatic mission indefinitely, the AP noted.
In the statement, Biden thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, who were “fundamental to the success” of the operation.
The withdrawal plans began Monday after US embassy vehicles, which were on the move, came under fire in Khartoum.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Pentagon disclosed sending “additional capabilities” to the region to potentially help facilitate the withdrawal of Sudanese embassy personnel if necessary.
Khartoum’s airport is still not operational and land routes from the capital out of the country are long and dangerous, even without the current hostilities, posing additional difficulties and security risks.
According to the most recent count by the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 413 civilians have been killed and 3,551 injured since the start of the conflict in Sudan.
The clashes began a week ago between the armed forces, commanded by the country’s de facto leader since the October 2021 coup, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF, in its acronym) in English), headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.
President Joe Biden ordered US troops to evacuate embassy staff after receiving a recommendation the previous Saturday from his national security team that there was no end in sight to the fighting, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. due to the delicate nature of the mission.
The evacuation order was believed to apply to about 70 Americans. US forces were transporting them from an embassy landing zone to an unspecified location.
The State Department suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might reopen.
According to the World Health Organization, fighting has killed more than 400 people since an April 15 outbreak between two factions whose leaders are fighting for control of the country. The violence included an unprovoked attack on a US diplomatic escort and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted.
The White House said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of US citizens trapped in Sudan. Approximately 16,000 US citizens are registered with the embassy as residents of Sudan. The State Department cautioned that that number is likely incorrect because there is no requirement for Americans to register or notify the embassy when they leave.
The embassy issued an alert the previous Saturday warning that “due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and the closure of the airport, it is currently unsafe to carry out a coordinated evacuation of US citizens by the US government.”
Clashes in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals have put the nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders.
The fighting, which began as Sudan tried to transition to democracy, has already left millions of people trapped in urban areas, taking shelter from gunfire, explosions and looters.
Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said Saturday he will facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan, after speaking with the leaders of several countries that have asked for help. The Rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in a Twitter announcement said they had cooperated with US forces.
Source: TSF
