The United States State Department announced on Saturday, April 22, 2023 night the successful evacuation of all U.S. personnel and their dependents from the American Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan. The move follows a rapid increase in violence within the country, prompting the suspension of embassy operations.
In an earlier statement, U.S. citizens were instructed to shelter in place as a security precaution. The Sudanese military guaranteed evacuation requests made by the United States, Britain, France, and China.
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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expressed concern over the escalating conflict, stating, “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.”
Blinken acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to suspend operations but emphasized that the safety of American personnel remains his top priority. He cited the high risk of U.S. civilian casualties due to the ongoing fighting and infrastructural damage.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin praised the success of the evacuation, led by U.S. Africa Command in close coordination with the State Department. Austin expressed gratitude to Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance, though he did not elaborate on their specific roles.
On Saturday, the State Department reinforced its “do not travel” advisory for Sudan, warning Americans of potential risks from armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. The updated advisory highlighted the particularly volatile situation in the capital city of Khartoum, describing it as “violent, volatile, and extremely unpredictable.”
Since the fighting began, at least one American has been killed, according to the State Department.
The ongoing conflict resulted from heightened tensions between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, both of which are vying for control over the nation’s major institutions. The independent United States Institute of Peace has been monitoring the situation closely.
In a call for peace, the African Union Peace and Security Council urged an end to the fighting. Blinken echoed this sentiment on Saturday, reiterating his call for both factions “to urgently extend and expand the Eid al-Fitr ceasefire to a sustainable cessation of hostilities to prevent further damage to the Sudanese nation.”
