Washington:
US forces evacuated US embassy staff from Khartoum, President Joe Biden said late Saturday, calling for an end to “unconscionable” fighting in Sudan’s capital between the army and a paramilitary group.
“Today, at my order, the United States military conducted an operation to evacuate US government personnel from Khartoum,” Biden said in a statement.
As the violence entered its second week, Biden called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” “unimpeded humanitarian access” and respect for “the will of the Sudanese people.”
“I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America’s friendship and engagement with the people of Sudan,” Biden said.
In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he ordered the evacuation of employees and their families because of “serious and growing security risks” that have already left hundreds dead and thousands injured.
“We remind both belligerents of their obligations under international humanitarian law, including those relating to the protection of civilians,” Blinken said.
Fighting began on 15 April between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, over a dispute over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.
The move was a key condition aimed at restoring Sudan’s democratic transition after former leader Omar al-Bashir was toppled by the military in April 2019 following massive civilian protests.
The two men had joined forces, before turning against each other, to oust a civilian government installed after the fall of Bashir.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)