The US State Department considered that the ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces makes any attempt to evacuate embassy staff in Khartoum fraught with danger.
On Thursday, the US Department of Defense announced that it was sending troops to East Africa in anticipation of a possible evacuation of US Embassy staff in Khartoum.
“Due to the unstable security situation in Khartoum and the closure of the airport, it is not safe for the US government to conduct a coordinated evacuation at this time,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
“We have made it clear to both sides that it is absolutely unacceptable for our diplomats to be subjected to any attacks, threats or risks,” Patel added.
The US State Department sought to assemble US personnel in one location in the Sudanese capital to provide them with better protection from the fighting and finalize preparations for a possible evacuation.
On Thursday, the Pentagon said it was mobilizing forces in the region for an evacuation operation that is believed to be taking place from a US base in Djibouti, 1,126 kilometers southeast of Khartoum.
“We are in the process of deploying additional capabilities in the region in response to emergencies related to securing US personnel at the embassy and facilitating their eventual departure from Sudan,” the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
It is worth noting that Germany has abandoned its attempt to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, according to the German weekly Der Spiegel.
According to the newspaper, three military transport planes were able to transport about 150 German citizens bound for Sudan, but an order was given to bring them back.
On Friday, South Korea announced it was sending a plane and soldiers to a US base in Djibouti to await the evacuation of its citizens.
Japan also announced that it is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, where there are about 60 Japanese, including embassy staff, according to government spokesman Hirozaku Matsuno, who noted that there was a Japanese military base in Djibouti.
Fighting between the Sudanese army led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Buran and the Rapid Support Forces led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo began on April 15, leaving 413 dead and 3,551 injured, according to the World Health Organization.
Source: AFP.