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President Joe Biden demanded a halt to the “unconscionable” fighting in Khartoum between the army and a paramilitary group late Saturday. The US military had evacuated American embassy personnel from the city.
Biden issued a statement in which he stated, “Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US Government personnel from Khartoum,” and he further stated that the embassy was “temporarily suspending operations.”
In the second week of the conflict, Biden called for a “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” “unrestricted humanitarian access,” and respect for “the will of the people of Sudan.”
“I’m proud of the extraordinary dedication of our Embassy staff,” Biden continued. In doing so, they exemplified American goodwill and bonds to the Sudanese people while carrying out their duties bravely and competently.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the decision to evacuate staff members and their families due to “serious and growing security risks” in the midst of conflict that has already resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, according to a separate statement.
Blinken reiterated prior requests to “extend and expand” a ceasefire deal over the Eid al-Fitr holiday: “We remind both belligerents of their obligations under international humanitarian law, including obligations related to the protection of civilians.
“On 15 April, violence broke out between the soldiers of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo over the proposed integration of the Rapid Support soldiers (RSF) into the regular army.
The action was a crucial requirement of a pact intended to restore Sudan’s democratic transition after the military ousted the country’s previous leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 in response to widespread citizen protests.
Before turning against one another, the two men had worked together to overthrow the civilian administration that had been put in place after Bashir’s overthrow.
