Pentagon prepping for potential evacuation of US embassy staff from Sudan

The U.S. is putting troops in place over the potential to evacuate American embassy personnel sheltering in place in Khartoum, amid days of intense fighting between opposing Sudanese military forces in the country’s capital, the Biden administration confirmed Thursday.

U.S. Africa Command “is monitoring the situation in Sudan and conducting prudent planning for various contingencies,” Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Phil Ventura said in a statement. “As part of this, we are deploying additional capabilities nearby in the region for contingency purposes related to securing and potentially facilitating the departure of U.S. Embassy personnel from Sudan, if circumstances require it.”

American diplomats and staff are among the millions of civilians caught in the crossfire that erupted late last week, with the United Nations estimating at least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded in a battle that has turned streets into war zones. 

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the U.S. has “good accountability” of its diplomats who are sheltering in place, and the State Department is trying to get “them all co-located together for their own safety.” 

“Obviously we’re still very concerned about the violence there, the continued fighting. There was a so-called cease-fire last night that didn’t hold very long, and so people are still being hurt,” he said.

Security alerts from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum have indicated the government is unlikely to coordinate an evacuation for U.S. citizens, but U.S. officials have expressed grave concern for the safety of American diplomats serving in the capitol. 

An American diplomatic convoy was fired upon, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Wednesday, although no one was harmed.

“But this action was reckless, it was irresponsible, and of course unsafe — a diplomatic convoy with diplomatic plates, a U.S. flag, being fired upon,” the secretary said in remarks to the press while on diplomatic travel in Japan. 

Blinken, along with other U.S. officials, has engaged intensely with the warring military commanders and partner nations to achieve a cease-fire, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and African Union.

“The imperative is getting quickly to a cease-fire so that the guns stop firing, people can move about safely, reunite with their families, get the assistance they need, and all of us can continue to engage in supporting Sudan as it makes its transition.”

Fighting broke out Saturday, April 15, between forces loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, against Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also referred to as Hemedti, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Gen. Burhan has been at the head of a military-civilian government that has stalled in transitioning to a full, civilian, democratically elected government since a grassroots revolution between 2018 and 2019 succeeded in turning the military, led by Burhan and Hemedti, to depose Sudan’s then-dictator Omar al-Bashir.