WASHINGTON, April 23. /TASS/. The evacuation of US citizens by American military from Sudan was launched following orders issued by US President Joe Biden, the White House said in a statement.
The Washington Post newspaper reported earlier that the US authorities had completed the evacuation of the embassy personnel and their family members from Sudan.
"Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US Government personnel from Khartoum," the statement quoted President Biden as saying. "I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation."
"I am receiving regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible. We are also working closely with our allies and partners in this effort," he continued.
"This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It’s unconscionable and it must stop," Biden stated. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan."
"We are temporarily suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending," the US president added.
A spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces stated on Saturday that the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France were evacuating their nationals from Khartoum using their military aircraft. According to estimates of the US Department of State, about 16,000 US nationals are currently in Sudan, with the majority of them having dual allegiance.
The situation in Sudan has escalated over disagreements between the army’s commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the Sovereign Council, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is his deputy in the council.
On April 15, clashes erupted near a military base in the cities of Merowa and Khartoum. According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, more than 600 people have died as a result of the fighting. Meanwhile, the Sudan Doctors Committee puts the number of victims among civilians at more than 200. According to it, more than 1,000 have been wounded and more than 3,300 have fled their homes.