- The clashes in Sudan are between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
- More than 10,000 people have left Sudan to Chad
- According to the World Health Organization, 420 people have been killed
Khartoum, April 23, 2023: United States (US) troops have evacuated US Embassy personnel from Sudan on Sunday, more than a week after fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary.
“Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US Government personnel from Khartoum,” President Joe Biden said.
He thanked authorities in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance in the evacuation mission.
Earlier, the RSF claimed it had “coordinated with the US Forces Mission consisting of six aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning.”
The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, US officials told reporters. About 100 US troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation.
US Embassy operations suspended
The fighting in Sudan “posed an unacceptable risk to our embassy personnel,” said US State Secretary Antony Blinken.
Biden confirmed that the evacuation of diplomatic staff meant US Embassy in Khartoum would suspend operations.
“But our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending,” he added.
Around 16,000 US citizens were registered with the embassy, but officials said this number is likely inaccurate as US citizens are not required to register their presence in the country, nor are they required to notify the embassy if they leave.
“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians,” Biden said. “It’s unconscionable and it must stop.”
By DW