U.S. prepares for possible evacuation of its diplomats in Sudan
The U.S. government has confirmed the deployment of U.S. troops to Sudan as a preliminary measure to facilitate a possible eventual evacuation of Embassy personnel in the country.
“The Department of Defense, through the Africa Command, is monitoring the situation in Sudan and conducting prudent planning for various contingencies. As part of that, we are deploying additional capabilities in the vicinity of the region for security-related contingency purposes and the possible facilitation of the departure of U.S. Embassy personnel from Sudan.if circumstances so require,” reads a statement issued Thursday by the agency.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby did not confirm during a press conference whether the United States plans to evacuate Embassy personnel soon: “The Pentagon announced that they are moving forward to Position some military forces for contingency purposes only.in case they were needed for any kind of evacuation. But no decision has been made in this regard.”
As for non-diplomatic civilians of U.S. nationality who remain in Sudan, Kirby has confirmed that Are located and sheltering in place. where they are located, although he stated that they are working to be able to gather them all in the same location and thus be able to better guarantee their safety.
In turn, the State Department, through deputy spokesman Vedant Patel, has stressed that “the manner in which Embassy personnel and private U.S. citizens are evacuated is carried out differently.”
“Khartoum’s international airport and Sudan’s border with Chad are closed”.. And because of the unfortunate, uncertain and very fluid security situation in Khartoum, and again because of the closure of the airport, it is not safe to undertake an evacuation coordinated by the U.S. government of private U.S. citizens at this time,” he added.
War already leaves more than 330 dead
The death toll from fighting that broke out on Saturday in Sudan between the Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has risen to more than 330 dead and nearly 3,200 wounded.according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Hostilities broke out on Saturday amid rising tensions over the reform of the security apparatus and the integration of the paramilitary force–led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias ‘Hemedti’, who is also vice president of the Sovereign Transitional Council–into the Armed Forces, a key part of an agreement signed in December to form a new civilian government and revive the transition.
The process of talks began with international mediation after the army chief and president of the Sovereign Transitional Council, Abdelfatá al Burhan, led a coup in October 2021 that ousted the then unity prime minister, Abdalá Hamdok, appointed to the post following civil-military contacts after the April 2019 uprising that ended 30 years of Omar Hasán al Bashir’s regime.
