US President Joe Biden announced that, under his orders, the United States has proceeded to evacuate its government personnel from Khartoum and has temporarily suspended operations at its embassy in Sudan.
The president pointed out in a statement released by the White House that Ethiopia, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia were “decisive” for this exit to be successful.
For its part, France followed in the footsteps of the Americans and has begun a “rapid evacuation operation” of its citizens and diplomatic personnel from Sudan, reports Afp.
The country also suffered a “near total” internet blackout, NetBlocks, a London-based organization that monitors internet access around the world, reported on Sunday.
“Real-time network data shows a near-total collapse of Internet connection in Sudan, with national connectivity now at 2% of ordinary levels. The incident comes as foreign diplomats are being evacuated amid fighting between military and paramilitary forces,” said NetBlocks, a platform that monitors user connectivity and online censorship, on its official Twitter account.
The evacuation of US personnel, which involved three CH-47 Chinook helicopters, was led by the US Africa Command in close collaboration with the State Department.
The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (FAR), as was made clear from Washington, were not involved in the operation: “They cooperated to the extent that they did not shoot our service members in its course,” he said in a call with journalists on Under Secretary for Management of the Department of State, John Bass. However, the Sudanese paramilitary group assured today that they have coordinated with US forces to evacuate their diplomats and relatives.
“The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the US Forces Mission, made up of 6 aircraft, to evacuate the diplomats and their families on Sunday morning,” the FAR said in a statement.
President Biden added in his statement that while embassy operations in Sudan are temporarily suspended, the US commitment “to the Sudanese and to the future they want is endless.”
The Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, admitted in another note that although the decision to temporarily suspend the operations of an embassy “is always difficult”, the safety of its staff is a “priority” and that step has been taken in the face of “increasing and serious risks” caused by the conflict.
From Washington it was stressed that they are going to continue helping the Americans in Sudan for their “own security” and so that they can be informed.
Djibouti, as noted by the Biden Administration, is considering using its intelligence and surveillance and reconnaissance means to analyze possible exit routes and detect threats, and using “maritime resources” in the Sudan port to potentially help to the Americans who arrive there.
“We will also continue to coordinate with our allies, as well as our local partners, in efforts to ensure the safety of their personnel,” Blinken said.
The Undersecretary for Management of the Department of State added that some members of other diplomatic legations who were in the US at that time were also evacuated: “Once at the embassy, ??we felt that the most prudent thing to do was to take them with us,” Bass said without specify the number or the nationalities.
In all, fewer than 100 people were evacuated, and some 100 members of the US forces participated in the evacuation.
The Biden Administration stressed the need to end the conflict.
“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It is inconceivable and must stop. The warring parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unimpeded humanitarian access and respect the will of the people of Sudan “said the president.
This same Saturday, the United States embassy in Khartoum had reported that due to the insecurity situation in Khartoum and the closure of the international airport, it was not safe to carry out an evacuation, despite the fact that the Sudanese Army had said shortly before that the country American was going to proceed with the repatriation in a matter of “hours”.
The Pentagon announced on Thursday that it was closely monitoring the situation in Sudan and had deployed troops to the region in case it was necessary to evacuate its personnel from the country, something that finally happened on Saturday.
The US forces planes left Djibouti and stopped in Ethiopia to refuel before heading to Khartoum and back. “The operation was quick and clean and the evacuees are safe and sound,” concluded Lt. Gen. D.A. Sims on the call to the press.
France began a “quick evacuation operation” of its citizens and Sudanese diplomatic personnel, in the second week of fighting between the army and paramilitaries, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday, reports Afp.
The evacuation includes citizens of Europe and countries allied to France, the ministry said without further details.
The two opposing sides, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, “offered security guarantees” for the operation, a diplomatic source said.
Some 250 French people live in Sudan, the diplomatic source said.
The Netherlands has joined an international effort to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Sunday, Reuters reports.
“A multi-country operation is underway to evacuate citizens from Sudan. The Netherlands is participating with a team from Jordan. They will do everything they can to get the Dutch out of there as quickly and safely as possible,” Hoekstra said in a message on Twitter. .
The fighting that began on April 15 between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (FAR) paramilitary group arose after weeks of tension over the reform of the security forces in negotiations to form a new transitional government.
Hostilities broke out after they were unable to agree on the integration of General Daglo’s paramilitaries into General Burhane’s regular troops, after weeks of internationally mediated political negotiations.
Both forces were the architects of the joint coup that overthrew the transitional government of Sudan in October 2021.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, according to the count offered this Friday by the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 413 people have died and 3,551 have been injured in Sudan.
In Khartoum, a city of five million people, many civilians venture out of their homes only to obtain emergency food or to flee.
This week’s Eid-ul-Fitr had a bitter taste for them. It is usually celebrated “with cakes and gifts for the children”, but this year it is “shots and the smell of death”, says Sami al-Nour, a resident of Khartoum.
Living conditions are probably worse in Darfur, which was already the scene of terrible conflict in the 2000s, as no one can go there immediately. A doctor from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) spoke of a “catastrophic situation”.
In Sudan, Africa’s third largest gold producer and yet one of the world’s poorest countries, sanitation has been on its knees for decades and a third of its 45 million people go hungry.
The cessation of operations of most humanitarian organizations will worsen the situation. And the conflict is now threatening to spread beyond Sudan’s borders, experts say.
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