JAKARTA - The US military has evacuated American embassy staff from Khartoum during fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group entering its second week after a short break.
This was conveyed by US President Joe Biden, Sunday, April 23, quoted from AFP in the news Channelnewsasia. The battle in Sudan has left hundreds dead and thousands injured, while survivors are overcoming electricity and food shortages.
"Today, on my orders, the United States military carried out operations to remove US Government personnel from Khartoum," Biden said in a statement released Saturday evening.
Biden expressed his gratitude for the unrivaled expertise of our service members who managed to save them. Djibouti, Ethiopian, and Saudi Arabia have helped in the operation.
Rapid Supporting Forces (RSF), a fully armed paramilitary group that currently challenges regular army authorities in the capital and elsewhere, tweeted hours earlier that they had "coordinated with a US Troop Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, to evacuate diplomats and their families. on Sunday morning".
Foreign countries say they are preparing the potential for the evacuation of thousands of their nationals, even though Sudan's main airport is still closed.
More than 150 people from various countries had reached Saudi Arabia's safe place the day before, in the first announcement of the evacuation of civilians.
As the royal navy transported civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from the Sudanese Port to Jeddah, another battle broke out in Khartoum after a temporary ceasefire made gunfire ease for a moment on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
Eid is usually a big celebration for Sudanese who mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims. This year is marked by fear, sadness, and hunger.
Earlier on Saturday, Sudanese soldiers said its leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of various countries to "facilitate and ensure security for displaced residents and diplomatic missions".
It is stated that the evacuation is expected to begin "in the coming hours." The US, Britain, France, and China plan to transport their citizens out of Khartoum using military aircraft.
Burhan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that soldiers control "all airports, except Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, South Darfur capital.
The urban war began April 15 between troops loyal to Burhan and his deputy who turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Daglo led the RSF, which emerged from Janjawed fighters released in Darfur by former leader Omar al-Bashir, on charges of war crimes.
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