Fighting in Sudan: US military evacuates diplomats from Khartoum

The US military has evacuated American diplomats and their families from Khartoum, President Joe Biden said.

“Today, on my orders, the United States military is conducting an operation to remove US government personnel from Khartoum,” he said in a statement.

A US official said fewer than 100 people had been evacuated early Sunday, when three Chinook helicopters landed near the US embassy to pick them up.

Fierce violence erupted last week in Khartoum between two rival armies.

The power struggle between Sudan’s regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has seen heavy shelling of the capital city, killing hundreds and injuring thousands.

In a call with reporters after the mission, Lt Gen Douglas Sims said more than 100 US troops from the Navy Seals and Army Special Forces flew from Djibouti to Ethiopia and then to Sudan, and were on the ground in less than an hour.

He described it as a “fast and clean” operation.

Biden thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, saying they were “critical to the success of our operation”, and he warmly praised the US embassy staff and military.

The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed.

A tweet on its official feed states that the US government cannot provide consular services for its citizens in Sudan, nor is it safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens.

This is the second evacuation of foreign nationals since violence erupted in the Sudanese capital last week.

On Saturday, more than 150 citizens, diplomats and international officials were evacuated by sea from the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah. They are mostly citizens of Gulf countries, as well as Egypt, Pakistan and Canada.

And on Sunday, the French ministry of foreign affairs announced that it had begun evacuating citizens and diplomatic staff from the country. The ministry said it had started a “rapid evacuation operation” and that European citizens and those from “allied partner countries” would also be helped.

There is still no sign of a formal ceasefire.

But it appears that the paramilitary group, the RSF, has agreed not to shoot down American helicopters during their mission.

The Reuters news agency quoted US officials as saying that some diplomats from other countries were also evacuated by the US operation, and that US planes did not come under fire during it.

Khartoum airport has been repeatedly targeted by shelling and bombing, making evacuation flights from there impossible.

Mr Biden’s statement said: “I have received regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to help the American people in Sudan, as much as possible.”

He condemned the fighting, saying the opposing armies “must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan”.

The UK says it is considering ways to evacuate its staff. A hotline has been set up for those who need urgent help, and UK citizens in Sudan are being urged to tell the Foreign Office where they are.

Any UK evacuation is expected to be very limited and focus on diplomatic staff – not comparable to the mass evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021.

While the Canadian government is telling its citizens in Sudan to “shelter in a safe place”, keep their phones charged, doors and windows locked and “consider leaving the country if any safe way to do it”.

There are desperate calls for help from many foreign students – from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – who are also trapped in Khartoum, a city of about 6 million people.

Heavy fighting broke out in Khartoum on 15 April.

At its center is a power struggle between forces loyal to Sudanese army chief Abdel Fatteh al-Burhan and the rival RSF.

Almost constant shelling and bombing in Khartoum and elsewhere has cut off electricity and safe access to food and water for much of the population.

Several ceasefires apparently agreed to by both sides have been ignored, including a three-day pause to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which began on Friday.

The World Health Organization says the fighting has killed more than 400 people and injured thousands. But the death toll is believed to be much higher as people struggle to reach hospitals.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired an emergency Cobra meeting with the government on Saturday to review the crisis in Sudan and more talks are expected on Sunday.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has cut short a Pacific tour and will return to London.

Some UK nationals stranded in Sudan have expressed frustration and concern over the loss of an airlift.

Briton Iman Abu Garga, who was visiting Khartoum, said he registered himself and his two children, as instructed, “and since then – nothing”.

“We have no idea about the timescale or timeframe. We have no idea what it will look like. Will we be released from Khartoum airport? Do we have to go through the road? It’s absolutely frustrating not having any contact of man,” he complained.

Another British citizen in Khartoum told the BBC he felt “completely abandoned” by the UK government, saying he had not been given “a lot of information” about possible evacuation plans.

On Saturday a statement by the Sudanese army said that Gen Burhan had agreed to facilitate and ensure the evacuation of foreigners “in the coming hours”.

It said British, US, French and Chinese nationals and diplomats would be evacuated by air on military transport planes from Khartoum.

The UK government said it was “doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum”.

Along with Khartoum, the western region of Darfur, where the RSF first emerged, has also been severely affected by the fighting.

The UN has warned that up to 20,000 people – mostly women and children – have fled Sudan to seek safety in Chad, across the border from Darfur.